


Second Chances

by cherryflowerblossoms



Category: Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, Naruto, Naruto (Anime) RPF
Genre: F/M, I Will Go Down With This Ship, Kakashi is a dork, Keeping the ship alive, NaruHina - Freeform, Ninken | Ninja Dogs, Non-Canon Relationship, Post-The Last: Naruto the Movie, Pre-Boruto, Romance, Slow Burn, Team 7 - Freeform, idk if i succeed, kakasaku - Freeform, wanted to try and not make sasuke a douche
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-11
Updated: 2020-12-28
Packaged: 2021-03-09 22:00:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 30,741
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27503446
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cherryflowerblossoms/pseuds/cherryflowerblossoms
Summary: Sometimes dreams don't work out in reality, but one dream's end doesn't mean you wont get a second chance to get it right. Sakura finds herself with a companion she would've never expected. It seems what her heart wants isn't the only thing that has changed over the years.Post-The Last. AUish pre-Gaiden.(KakaSaku)Rated T for now.-1st posted on ff.net. Reposting here and reworking story-
Relationships: Haruno Sakura & Hatake Kakashi, Haruno Sakura/Hatake Kakashi, Kakasaku
Comments: 34
Kudos: 72





	1. The Blossom And The Redeemer

**Author's Note:**

> I began this story ages ago on ff.net. I've been wanting to finish it for a long time, but I will be making changes as I move the work.  
> I have always kind of loved this one, so I hope you guys do too.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the Blossom and the Redeemer part

The room was filled with shadows. Only the light emitted from the tiny sliver of a moon allowed for her to see him. He was seated against the wall with his face turned to the single window of the room. His expression held no hint of his inner thoughts, but then he had always been a master at keeping his feelings locked up.

For those who knew him as well as she did, there were subtitle clues. Like the minuscule downward tilt at the corner of his mouth.

"Sasuke," she broke the silence that had stretch since she had made her announcement.

"I know," his voice even.

"I'm sorry," she sighed as she fought to hold back the lump rising in her throat.

"I know," he spoke. After a pause, "So am I," he turned to look at her. There was a glimmer in his dark orbs that made her heart clench.

She lost her fight as a strangled sob escaped her mouth. Hands raising, she buried her face into them her as the sobs began to shake her petite frame. She heard his cloak shifting, followed by the sound of his boots padding quietly across the wooden floor. He was ever graceful even now in this moment of their torn lives and crushed dreams.

The bed springs creaked as he sat beside her and wrapped an arm around her shaking frame. "Shh," his deep voice shushed her as she fell into his chest. His hand rose to comb through her pink strands, "It's okay, Sakura. It's going to be okay."

The next morning Sakura woke in Sasuke's arms for the first time in years. He was already awake. When she tightened her hold on his cloak, he returned it just as firmly. This would be the last time they would be like this.

She breathed in his smell, taking in his wood smoke and cinnamon scent and cataloging it to her memory. He seemed to be doing the same as he placed a lingering kiss to the top of her head.

"I love you," she said with a matter-of-fact tone that left no room for doubt. In truth, she always would.

"I know," he sighed as they leaned away from their embrace. He wiped a dried tear trail from her cheek before two fingers rose to lightly poke her forehead. A humored snort left her and his mouth quirked slightly. There was a time when such a smirk would've dazzled her, taken her breath away. Now there was only a sorrowful pain in her chest. An expression fleeting as his face became somber once more as he searched her features, "I do love you." It was a statement, a fact.

She had never doubted that fact, even if he had only said the words twice before, when he asked her to marry him and after Sarada was born. That had been the first time she had taken this mission to meet up with Sasuke to exchange information he had learned and give new orders. Her smile turned bittersweet, "I know."

They got ready in silence, but it wasn't the heavy silence filled with dread and hidden emotions. Everything had been brought out of the shadows by the light of the Cheshire moon. With dawn came their new beginning and, in other ways, an end.

Bags on their backs, they stood in the room looking out the small window; it was a beautiful day. The storms had finally moved out, taking with them the clouds blocking the sky.

"Explain everything to Sarada," he spoke finally. His shoulders more relaxed than she had seen them in a long time.

"Hai, I will," she nodded. It was what she had been not looking forward too since she had made this decision all those months ago. "She won't understand," her defeated sigh made Sasuke chuckle.

He hadn't met his daughter, but he knew all about her inquisitive and sharp mind, "Maybe not now, but she will. With time." He looked to Sakura catching her gaze, "Tell her- tell her I'm sorry. Tell her -" he let out a shaky breath as he faced the window once more.

Sakura heart clenched as she reached to squeeze his shoulder lightly, "I will tell her that her father has been given a very important job, that he is an honorable man and an excellent ninja, and that he loves her very much. The rest can wait until she is older."

The solemn Uchiha released a breath, "Thank you, Sakura."

Outside as they parted ways for the last time, but this time it was Sasuke who watched her back as she faded further away. The legal scroll had already been signed last night and sent back to Konoha by one of his hawks. He looked up to the sky.

It was the start of summer and the end of spring. His eyes flicked to the last spot he saw her head of pink. With the close of one chapter, a new one also began.

Turning, finally, to head in the opposite direction, Sasuke couldn't help wondering what this new chapter would bring.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is my reworked first chapter.
> 
> I wanted the pair to have a split that wasn't so dramatic and that didn't make one or both the "bad guy". Douche bag Sasuke is fun to write, but I wanted to show real character growth for the both of them by having the divorce be civil and even mutual.
> 
> I hope you like it!


	2. The Price of Acknowledgement

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes being well-known sucks.

It was two days later that the gates of Konoha loomed on the horizon before her. She was torn. On one hand, things were finally settled, and amicably at that. She wasn't oblivious to the fact that these things were typically anything but... Then again, when had any part of their relationship been anything close to typical?

As she passed the gates, Kotetsu and Izumo gave a nod and wave.

"Morning boys," she smiled before quirking a brow. They both were watching her with the strangest expression. Hand on her hip, she dead panned, "Is this where I do a trick?"

Izumo's face turned slightly pink as he quickly averted his eyes, but Kotetsu let out a snort, "Gomen, Sakura-san, but there has been a bit of a rumor going around since a couple days ago."

A bit bewildered and more than a little curious, her arms crossed over her chest, "Is that so?"

Kotetsu nodded as he was practically vibrating with the need to talk about it... Or maybe he needed to lay off the coffee.

Either way, now she was curious. "Well?" She asked expectantly.

Izumo cut in, "I don't think it's our place to say." He looked uncertain and a little embarrassed as he caught her gaze before he quickly averted his eyes again.

Now she _really_ had to know. If Ino had decided to spread another bizarre story about what she and Sasuke did or didn't do when she went on these biannual missions, there might just be a training ground to rearrange. "Well, you can't just bring it up and _not_ tell me," she huffed.

Kotetsu practically exploded in a rush of words, "There was word from one of the caretakers up at the falconry that some important looking legal document had arrived with the _Uchiha_ seal on it and instructions to take it _straight_ to the Hokage. That was when it was handed off to one of the Secretaries, who _apparently_ overheard Lord Hokage and Hinata-hime mention something about a **divorce**. And of course since there is only _one_ Uchiha, it was obvious who it was about. _Well_ , this Secretary is friends with a nurse from the hospital, and she said that _she_ heard that Shizune was seen comforting you while Tsunade-sama threatened to cut off a certain Uchiha's, er... _equipment_. So, _now_ the whole village is in an up-roar about The Uchiha **cheating** on you with some geisha's from the Land of Tea... Or maybe it was the Land of Flowers..." He ended his long-winded bout by tapping at his chin as though trying to remember the exact details. " _Hm_ , come to think of it, it might not have been a nurse. Was it one of the childcare girls at the Children's Home? Hmm- _oomph_! **Ow!** Izumo, what did you do that for?!"

Izumo glowered at his idiotic best friend, "Could you have a bit more tact?" He hissed as he nodded towards a very wide-eyed Sakura.

Scratching the back of his head, Kotetsu slouched as his demeanor turned remorseful, "I- I'm sorry, Sakura-san. I guess I got carried away. You mean a lot to us all, you know? Most of the villagers and shinobi owe you for saving our lives or the lives of our loved ones. We just don't want to hear that someone could've hurt you."

Sakura blinked as she pulled out of her state of shock. It was quite a tale to be going around. And so quickly too.

Sighing, she waved it off, "No, it's alright. I'm used to my personal life being a source for gossip at this point." After all, being married to Sasuke had brought with it the curious eyes of the village, most hadn't fully forgotten his past deeds when he was a rouge ninja. Added with the bizarre nature of their marriage, well, she couldn't really blame everyone for the gossip. She mentally shrugged. 'Mine as well set the record straight now.'

"Well, everyone is going to find out soon enough," she began before explaining that: yes, they were getting a divorce; no, neither had cheated or anything like that; but that they had grown apart and the distance hadn't helped. "It was time for us to go our separate ways. We still care about each other, but it doesn't always work out how you thought it would."

With the air cleared and words of condolences given, Sakura headed for the Hokage Tower and tried not to be bothered by the many eyes that followed or the murmuring as she passed. She mentally chided her younger self, who desperately wanted to be given recognition. Sometimes it was a bit of a double edged sword.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, here is my second chapter. I hope you liked it.
> 
> I wanted to establish Sakura's role in the village in the time frame of my story. Being a member of the new three Sanin and healing so many during the war, I felt that the fame of her team and her deeds would have earned her a special place in the heart of the village. I see her as having been viewed as Konoha's Sweetheart. Healing and saving so many would without a doubt garner Sakura a showering of affection from the population.
> 
> This image is made more realistic if you think about the fame of the team she was a part of. In a way, Team 7 had been in the public's focus since the beginning with the Last Uchiha and the Kyuubi container being led by the Copy Ninja. If the Naruto world has any sort of fame, Team 7 and, by extension, Team Kakashi, would no doubt have a good amount of it. Consider the original Three Sanin's reputation, I'd imagine it would be the same.
> 
> Anyways, this is my "clear the air" chapter. I will be posting the next one soon.


	3. What's In A Name

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sakura and Naruto share a moment.

Sakura's trek from the gates of the village to Hokage Tower seemed to take twice as long as normal. The whispered and, in some cases, non-whispered words as she walked along the main road brought back memories. The same whispering and looks of pity swirled around her and Naruto in their youth after Sasuke had first left them. Even after all that Konoha had been through, all the changes and growth the village had seen, it seemed the hunger for some good ol' gossip was still much the same.

But Sakura _had_ changed.

She wasn't the young, naive gennin she once was. She no longer hungered for the good opinion of her peers. No. The Sakura of today no longer looked down to avoid the gazes of the onlookers as she passed them on the street. Nor did she take to the rooftops and speed by using her ninja skills and chakra to avoid the stares. She strolled, head held high, right down main street.

Her confidence alone gave the rumor mongers pause. Made looks of pity flicker in doubt. For surely a woman who had pined after a man for nearly all her life only to finally "get him" to marry her, only to have him then stay gone from home and finally cheat on her would look like a wilted flower at the moment. Wouldn't she? They wondered, as they watch her pass, smiling and greeting people as she went.

Gossipers were not who Sakura was concerned about. She took a breath to steal herself as she entered Hokage Tower at last. She greeted the two ANBU at the door, though they neither responded nor gave hint of acknowledgement. A few groups of chunin came down the winding stairs as she made her accent, each time they greeted her back before scurrying away. It seemed her arrival had set the entire building on edge. They all seemed to know what Sakura knew- that their beloved Hokage was not going to handle the coming conversation well.

Finally at her destination, Sakura hesitated before giving the heavy door of the Hokage's Official Office a firm knock.

"Come in, Sakura," he called out from the other side.

Entering, she spotted him across the room. Not behind the too large desk, but sitting half on the ledge of the full length window over looking the village below. 

"I sensed you nearing the village a while ago," he stated.

"I walked," she confirmed, a prickle of annoyance at his heightened sensitivity due to years of training his sage mode skills.

Still not turning, he added, "I've been waiting for you."

She pursed her lips at his unusually subdued tone,"I figured you would be." After a moment of heavy silence, she sighed, "Our scroll made it to you, I assume?"

His blonde head whipped around, blue eyes appearing almost hurt, "Of course it did. You know it did. I'm sure your leisurely stroll through the streets of the village told you that much."

Ah- she thought to herself- there's the passionate dunder-headed teammate she knew and loved. "Naruto, I-"

He shook his head, frown deeply set between his brows, "Don't Sakura. Don't tease or try to lighten the mood with some joke. This is serious."

She frowned at that,"I am aware."

"This is your _marriage_ ," he added.

"A matter I am very much aware of, yes," she snapped back lightly.

Naruto ran a hand over his face before walking to his large desk chair and plopping down into it with a heavy sigh, "Sasuke wrote up the scroll. I would know his ridiculously fancy handwriting anywhere. Yours is not quite as, well..." he waved his hand in the air as though to say 'you know what I mean'.

Her brow twitched. "He wrote up what _we_ agreed upon, yes," she emphasized.

Naruto paused at her tone, "It doesn't upset you?"

Her eyes narrowed slightly, "Why would it?"

"He just rides off into the sunset? Leaving you full custody of Sarada, without _any_ kind of support at all, and you're _okay_ with that?" he pushed disbelief and a good amount of anger brewing beneath the surface- not at her, of course. She almost felt bad for Sasuke as Naruto studied her face for any hint- anything at all that would tell him she was anything other than ok.

"Naruto," she sat down in a seat across from his large desk, allowing herself to slouch into the armchair suddenly feeling very tired. "Why would that bother me?" she asked, "Isn't that how it has always been? Isn't that how he has done since the beginning? Even before Sarada, what is different now?"

"You're marriage would be _over_ ," he exclaimed, "that's what!" He stood and began pacing behind his desk. "I just don't understand it," he said, hand on chin in thought, "How can you just let him do you the way he did and just get off free without any sense of responsibility. I'm not saying you need the support, Sakura-chan. You make more than he does frankly and you are surrounded by the support of your friends, but the bastard _could_ pay to help support his _own_ daughter while he is off soiling his wild oats across the 5 nations," he spat out the last in disgust.

Sakura blinked. "Oh," her agitation at him drained from her. He was worried about her. Very. 

"Yes, oh!" he said shooting her a put out look,"Did you really think I wouldn't hear?" At her clearly confused face, he came around the desk and squatted in front of her, holding her hands in his,"Sakura-chan, we both are guilty of letting Sasuke get away with too much, with literal murder,"he winced, "But this is different. He is supposed to be changed. He is supposed to value his precious teammates finally. This? I don't think I can stomach watching you let him get away free after cheating on you and treating you like he has."

She blinked again.

His face was full of concern, a hint of anger lit up his eyes in a way that made her glad that she hadn't agreed to Sasuke's offered presence for this moment, and the sadness there was so heartfelt that she almost could have believed that it was Naruto's divorce and not her own that was the topic of discussion.

Giving his hands a squeeze in return, "Naruto, you knuckle-headed ninja," her lips quirked upwards, "since when do you listen to a bunch of bored, gossiping villagers?"

He seemed confused at that, "B-but they said... And the scroll came... And he is such a teme about things."

"They always say something, you know that best of all. I'm sorry you had to find out about this from a scroll. Yes, Sasuke has done a lot of stupid things through our marriage that has lead to me asking for a divorce, but Naruto," she said watching his brow furrow deeper and deeper as she spoke, "He has not cheated on me. Even Sasuke isn't stupid enough to do that."

He studied her face for a moment longer before a small chuckle fell from his lips. He stood and went to plop back into his chair, arms steepled atop the desk, "I _was_ a bit surprised that a funerary request scroll wasn't also on my desk."

"Ha," she grinned back rolling her eyes playfully.

He eyed her for a minute. "So, I'm not saying that I blame you, but," he sighed, "if the rumors _are_ wrong then what is it that finally made you ask for a divorce?"

She let out big whoosh of air. "It isn't just one thing. It is a collection of things since we got together. It's things that bothered me deeply that I pushed to the side because a part of me was expecting that one day he would change. We never communicated, not really. Not about important things. There is so much that he just doesn't feel comfortable or ready to open up about. It is not easy being in a relationship with someone who wont share themselves with you fully," she explained as she watched birds flying outside the large window. "In many ways, I know that we never should have gotten married at all. Sasuke was no where near ready for the kind of trust and openness that is required to really make it work. He wanted to revive his clan. That is as far as he had really thought about it. While I expected things of him that he is not capable or ready to give to anyone, not just me. I wanted this romantic happy ending. But I don't think that either of us truly gave thought to what either of those wants would really mean. We were younger and dumber, I guess." She shrugged looking back to a sadder looking Naruto, "Our problems were just made worse by his distance, both emotionally and physically. I still love him. Of course, he is my friend and my teammate and the father of my child. He loves me in his own way too. But loving someone and being in love with them are very different things. It just took both of us a while to grow up enough to realize that."

He looked unsure of himself then, crestfallen even, "Is it because I kept agreeing to send him out on his mission requests? Did I hurt you by giving him such long assignments? I could have sent others, but he asked to be sent out and it had seemed to be doing him good. He seemed to be more loosened up when we debriefed. I thought it was helping him heal, Sakura-chan. That his need to redeem himself would make him finally come to terms with himself. I didn't know that you two were having such problems. I just thought, you know, distance makes the heart grow fonder or whatever the saying is." He dropped his head in his hands, "I'm a terrible friend and a worse Hokage. I've split up the marriage of the last Uchiha. So much for clan reviving, previous Hokage's are probably rolling in their graves," he groaned into his palms.

Sakura snorted, "I can think of two past Hokage's that are living that would likely pat you on the back for a job well done on that note." Tsunade had threatened Sasuke with all her wrath if he somehow managed to bring the Uchiha back along with their tendency for power hunger. Kakashi's reaction had been much funnier upon hearing that Sakura was pregnant back then. He had nearly fallen out of the tree he was in when Naruto excitedly blurted it out, and had murmured to himself about 'mini Sasuke's' in a way that left her unconvinced he wasn't entirely well.

She was pulled from reliving her humorous memories by a choked up Naruto, "I'm sorry, Sakura-chan. I'm so sorry."

Sakura had to take a second to mentally play catch up with the sheer amount of word vomit that had just been spewed at her. Blinking as though to clear the fog, she said,"Naruto, don't be ridiculous. You had nothing to do with mine and Sasuke's marriage failing." It took a fair amount of convincing on her part and deterring him from acts of violence upon the wandering Uchiha for causing her pain. But finally, she seemed to get through to him.

Naruto's expression remained remarkably unreadable as he sat staring at his desk. She couldn't help feeling like a shity friend for not talking more openly about her martial problems with him, after all Naruto was like a brother to her and Sasuke was his best friend. But she hadn't wanted to break his heart. Naruto really was a romantic in his view of the world sometimes. He had been so happy about the two of them being together.

She sat patiently as she waited for him to speak.

Finally he lifted his face to search hers as he asked once more, "And you are sure he hasn't hurt you?"

Her smile was tender as she nodded, "I am sure."

His brow bunched, as his expression became clouded with confusion, "And you both still love each other?"

She sighed, "Yes... Sometimes love is not enough." He began to interject but stopped when she lifted a hand and have him a pointed look, "We love each other, yes. But we are not 'in love' anymore. We've drifted apart, Naruto. We need different things and have different dreams. You can love someone and not be 'in love' with them. And I do love him. It's just as a person now, as one of my special people. Not in the way that you love Hinata, not anymore."

The blonde sat in deep thought for a while. His brow smoothed as he let out an uncharacteristically tired sigh, "Alright, Sakura-chan. If this is truly what you want."

She nodded, "It's what we both want."

He gave a small nod, before signing the needed spots and giving the document his official seal. He stopped for a moment as he went through the scroll of legal jargon. The furrowing was back between his brows as he looked back to her curious gaze, "Ne, Sakura-chan, have you given any thought to what name you are going to use now? I have to specify in the files if you are keeping your married name or going back to your maiden name."

Her expression slacked. She hadn't even considered it at all. In fact, she hadn't talked about it with Sasuke either. Would he want her to keep his name? What if he met someone? How weird would that be to still have his name then? What if she met someone? She nearly scoffed aloud at the thought. But then, if she went back to Haruno, she wouldn't share the same name as her daughter. How would Sarada feel? She'd be the last Uchiha left in Konoha. Sakura shuddered as he recalled what a burden that could be. Memories of Sasuke in his youth flash through her mind.

Resolved, Sakura made her decision, "I will remain, Uchiha. After all, we are just getting a divorce. We will always be a family with Sarada."

The smile that lit up Naruto's face erased any question she may have still had about her choice. He understood. There was no ill-will, no turning her back on Sasuke. Their dynamic would just be changed. What was important is that Sarada be her sole focus now. This was what was best for her as well after all.

As she stepped back into the bustling streets, Sakura headed to the Akimichi clan's estate. It was time for her to pick up Sarada. Tonight was not going to be easy. Part of her didn't want to tell the young girl the news, but it had to be done.

Hopefully before she hears any of the exaggerated stories going around.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, there you have it.   
> This is the first chapter that I really went in and revised the heck out of.  
> Many of the notes that my readers gave the first time around was that they wished for more of a moment here between Naruto and Sakura. Hopefully this fulfilled that wish and shed light on how I see their relationship as the young adults that they are in my story.
> 
> I juggled greatly with adult team 7 dynamics. I like NaruHina as s ship, but NaruSasu is my favorite dynamic honestly... other than KakaSaku, of course. That said, I just couldn't figure out how to swing that into this story line without some majorly unrealistic reaches and more drama than necessary.
> 
> Keep an eye out for the next chapter soon!


	4. The Sixth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Kakashi tries.

Moving through the village, a figure walked with his hands in his pockets. Exchanging a friendly nod in response to the many "Good Morning" and "Hello Hokage-sama" greetings that he got as he went along his daily trek. It was something he had done for so long that he could make the trip blindfolded, or with his nose buried in a gaudy orange book.

Nowadays, no book was to be seen when Hatake Kakashi roamed about the village. It was a change he had [reluctantly] picked up when he became [i.e. was practically thrown into] the role of the Rokudaime, the Sixth Hokage of Konoha. Now even though he was officially [and unofficially] no longer the acting [or assisting the current] Hokage, he found that the change in his habit had stuck.

It had only been a week since Kakashi had told Naruto that he no longer needed Kakashi hovering around. His former student was already a better Hokage than he had been; truthfully, having Kakashi hang around to supervise for the first year had been largely unnecessary, and was more about Naruto's confidence in the position and learning all the diplomatic sides of his role. Naruto was more than ready. He had been more than ready.

Kakashi, however, felt a bit odd now. What should he do? Go back into regular active duty? No Hokage had ever gone back into regular ranks after leaving office. ...then again, most previous Hokage had also left office via their deaths... And what of ANBU? It was a possibility, surely. Of one thing he was absolutely sure. He knew for certain that he was through teaching; his last team was more than enough to handle, thank you very much.

So what to do now? Kakashi sighed as he walked, looking over the faces of the villagers that passed and taking in the much changed scenery of his beloved village. Much had changed over the years: the village, his role in the village, Kakashi himself. His daily morning walk, however, remained unchanged.

Coming at last to stand before the dark, polished stone of the cenotaph, it was something of a miracle that it had survived all of the destruction that the village had gone through. It's location out on the training grounds at the outskirts made it one of the 2 major monuments that had survived. The other being the carved faces of the Hokage's.

Kakashi's dark gray eyes traced over each name carved into its stone face, taking extra time over those he considered his precious people. His gaze played special attention to two names. One name held his gaze the longest.

'Obito,' Kakashi sighed though a smile stayed hidden behind his mask. He was glad that Obito made the right choices in the end. When he first realized what all Obito had done, he was appalled and disgusted. Mostly though, he had been in a state of shock. It was as though the world was turned on its head to think that the silly and carefree teammate he once knew became so twisted with hatred. But in the end, Obito's true nature won over. Kakashi smiled as he looked to a third name.

 _Namikaze Minato_ \- his genin sensei's memory weighed heavily on his mind since the end of the Fourth War, though not in the depressing way it had before. Finally having that sense of closure with the man, who had become his father figure and helped to shape who he grew up to be, lifted so much off of Kakashi's shoulders.

With the closure he received from Obito and Minato, and subsequently, with Rin's memory as well, the heavy burden of grief was eased. Kakashi found that he was finally able to put the past behind him and start living in the present.

The first course of action he had taken after the war was to try to be for Naruto what he should've been from the start. After all, if Minato and Kushina had lived, Naruto would've been like a younger brother to him. So, Kakashi made it his duty to go that extra mile where Naruto was concerned.

He smirked as he thought about some of his first days as Hokage. Naruto had been so pouty that yet another person was chosen while he was not. Luckily, the little blonde squirt hadn't taken to calling him anything as ridiculous as "Grandpa-kage" or some other horrid moniker. No, instead he had taken pleasure in calling Kakashi "Kakashi-sama" and being overly pleased with himself when it gave Kakashi a knee-jerk reaction. The brat.

Chuckling to himself at the memory, the distant clangs of kunai from the nearby training fields drew him back to the present. Kakashi realized that he had been out for longer than he had planned. Glancing at the sky, he figured it was approaching late morning and decided that grabbing breakfast was something he hadn't had the time to do in quite some time.

* * *

Sakura stood on the rebuilt red bridge that Team 7 met up at back when they were genin. To everyone's joy, Yamato had made the old, destroyed bridge's replacement to look exactly like the original and some villagers had even made sure to repaint it to match the original. She had a hunch that her then Team Leader was to thank for that. Kakashi was surprisingly nostalgic for someone who was famously aloof- or who at least pretended to be so.

With a slight snort of amusement, Sakura's gaze caught her reflection in the slow moving water beneath. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying and her hair that she had twisted up into a small clip to keep out of her face was now messy with her short strands falling out everywhere. Her smile fell. She looked how she felt.

Sighing, she picked up a fallen cherry blossom petal from the railing and swirled it in her fingers. Even though their split was mutual, it still hurt. It felt like a failure. 

When Sakura had married Sasuke, she had thought that they would be together forever. She had been naive. Sasuke had demons. Demons that didn't just go away. Demons that he couldn't ignore and hope to avoid by swooping into the village and marrying the girl who had loved him since childhood. It took them a long time to realize that they wanted very different things. But they _had_ tried.

In the end, Sakura could have continued as they were. It would've been a marriage on paper and in legal terms alone. In truth, they had become less a couple and more friends, companions; it was what Sasuke needed most, support. But it wasn't about Sakura or Sasuke anymore. Sarada was suffering from the demons Sasuke still battled. Even with him away, she still faced them.

How do you explain to a child why her father never comes by to see her? Or why he doesn't write? Or send gifts? Or why her mommy and daddy don't live together like other families? As Sarada grew, her questions changed to wonderings about whether or not they were even married at all. 

Sakura had done her best. Taught the young Uchiha that families come in all shapes and sizes and forms. Many children grow up without one or both parents and they are truly happy and fine. She worked in the medical field and she saw it all of the time. But for Sarada, who heard not just her mother's words but those of kids and people in the village who likely had less than kind things to say about the previously "Last" Uchiha, it was a more complicated and harder to navigate situation. Sarada's growing self-doubts had been the tipping point for Sakura. How do you explain all of the dark side effects of psychological hurt that Sasuke struggled with to a child that long for that connection, that male figure in her life?

Sasuke loved Sarada. Sakura knew that in his own way he truly did. But he did not know how to love in the ways that Sakura or Sarada needed. He couldn't shake off his past enough to allow himself to stay in the village and try. Instead, he committed himself to a mission without any foreseeable end.

Sakura couldn't change the situation with Sasuke for Sarada's sake. What she could do is show Sarada that it was not good to stay in a relationship with someone who did not make you happy. The last thing Sakura wanted was Sarada growing up thinking that what her mother and father had was how a healthy marriage should look. It wasn't healthy.

Her thoughts had been going over everything on loop since Sarada had gone to school at the Academy that morning. She still hadn't told her yet. The young girl had been so upbeat when Sakura picked her up from the Akimichi's that she couldn't bring herself to ruin that. She didn't want to dump it all on her and then have to send her off to classes the next morning. Even so, Sarada had known something was off. She had hugged Sakura a little longer and firmer than usual. She was a smart child.

Sakura wiped her face again in annoyance at the wet trails still on her face.

"Is there any reason you are sniffling while staring melodramatically into the river?"

She jumped, startled out of her thoughts and embarrassed for having been caught in such a state. Wiping at her cheeks again, she attempted a smile, "K-kakashi-sensei, what are- what are you doing out here? Shouldn't you be at Hokage Tower?"

"Well, I decided to resign," he leaned on the railing, "In truth, Naruto was ready to run things by himself long ago."

Intrigued by his open response, she leaned next to him, "Then what made you assist him for so long?" The pause that followed only served to make her more curious.

But he only gave a trademark smile and joked, "Mah, this old man needed something to keep from feeling idle."

Sakura blinked before a choked snort escaped her, "Kakashi-sensei, if you are idle then I am a ninkin."

His grin grew, "One of my summons? Is that so? You know that means you have to follow my orders without question."

She rolled her eyes, "You wish."

He only hummed, a grin still hidden beneath his mask. He knew she was curious now. She could be a persistent thing when she wanted to be and somehow she always ended up getting what she wanted. He mentally kicked himself as he didn't really feel like unpacking his psychological baggage at the moment.... or at any moment, but, he only had himself to blame. He had gotten her curiosity peaked and now he'd have to face the consequences. ...Just maybe not right this second.

Cutting off what she had begun to say, he opted for a distraction, "I was on my way to grab breakfast. I haven't eaten anything but take-out in such a long time. Care to join? It can be my treat."

Sakura found herself blinking once again, "Your treat?" He hummed. "Kakashi-sensei, when has anything ever been your treat?"

He rolled his eyes as they began to head towards the village, "Really Sakura, you wound me. I have bought you plenty of things."

"Name one."

"... Your birthday present?"

"Kaka-sensei, that was a group gift and I happen to know for a fact that it wasn't your idea to get me a spa day. Ino was the mastermind behind that one. Try again."

"But I was a part of the group, wasn't I?"

She scoffed, "Adding your name to the gift tag hardly counts."

"So mean to your poor, old sensei," he slouched dramatically.

"My poor, old sensei is a tight-wad," she snickered at his pout, "That's not as effective with a mask, you know."

"Ah, but you knew it was there just the same," he chuckled before sighing, "Remember when you respected me?"

Laughing, Sakura bumped his shoulder lightly, which only moved him a little because he used chakra to adhere to the street. She really was scarily strong.

He grinned to himself as he caught her smile as they walked. He had successfully made her forget about whatever had been bothering her. Maybe he wasn't as bad at connecting to Sakura as he had always thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is kind of a "catch you up to speed" chapter.
> 
> So the run down on Kakashi and Sakura currently:  
> ~~~~~
> 
> After Naruto became Hokage, he asked Kakashi to stay and help him.It was originally only supposed to be for a short while, but Naruto's nerves about the diplomacy of the role mixed with Kakashi's own since of needing to be there for him made it end up being closer to 2 years. After a while, even though Naruto no longer needed him there for confidence or knowledge, Kakashi had stayed out of a sense of duty to Minato, who had taken him in as his own after his father died.
> 
> In present, Kakashi finally stepped down from that roles, which Sakura was out meeting Sasuke for their divorce papers to be written up, and has only not been assisting Naruto for about a week. He is now dealing with a bit of a midlife crisis, you could say, and has no idea what to do with himself now.
> 
> ~~~~
> 
> Sakura is struggling to come to terms with the fact that her holding on to her marriage for so long may have negatively impacted her daughter, Sarada. She fears that it may have given her a messed up view of what marriages look like. She doesn't want that for her daughter and is beating herself up: over the marriage failing, Sarada being hurt by Sasuke's demons, Sarada possibly not having a good view of what a healthy relationship should look like, and her own struggle of how to tell her daughter that she and her father got a divorce.
> 
> ~~~~
> 
> So, that's where we are right now.  
> I hope you like the redone chapter. I feel it is a lot easier to follow now, personally.


	5. His Path Of Life Crosses Hers...Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kakashi runs into Sakura once more

The next morning, Kakashi found himself even more distracted on his morning walk than the previous day. He absentmindedly waved to yet another smiling face as he made his way along his normal path.

Yesterday when he stumbled across Sakura at the bridge, it was obvious that she was crying or at least had been. It had concerned him a great deal. He couldn't remember the last time he had seen her cry.

The invitation to brunch had been a means to get her mind off of her troubles and to give her the chance to unload her burden on him. But, she hadn't said a word about it and, well, he didn't exactly feel like it was his place to ask. He certainly knew a thing or two about not opening up about how you're feeling. That lead to the second realization- It had bothered him more than he expected that she didn't feel as though she could share her troubles with him. Were they not as close as he thought? They had been teammates for such a long time.

When she was younger, he'd find her crying sometimes and he'd sit beside her. He never said a word, but then, he never had to. She'd cry as she told him what was bothering her. It nearly always had to do with Sasuke back then, of course. Things changed a little after the Chunin Exams when Sasuke had left. She stopped sharing her thoughts as freely. The innocent glimmer in her eyes had been snuffed out, as it often did when you lose someone. But still, she would occasionally cry when it all built up and burst through the new "tough girl" veneer she tried to hide behind.

Everyone grows up; he just felt like they grew apart in the process as well. Truth be told, he hadn't known the first thing about how to deal with a teenage girl. Let alone reach out to bridge the obvious distance between them as she grew. It had been much easier to do that with Naruto and even Sai. He had thought his few words would be a comfort. A safe place to vent those emotions when needed free of judgement, with only a few words of encouragement or verbal nudges in the right direction, but maybe she had taken his reservedness as disinterest. Perhaps that is what bothered him more.

After the war, he tried to make things right with those around him that he had been keeping at arm's length. Dying, seeing your dead Father, being brought back, finding out your long dead best friend was actually not dead but behind the many attacks and deaths of your village, and then beating down a God would do that to someone.

He had stopped trying to avoid _all_ the times when Gai would ask for a challenge. He had made it a point to check on Kurenai and her daughter. He actually tried to actively participate when the gang went out for drinks, much to Genma's glee... Well okay, "actively" may be a bit of a stretch, but he was trying and it was going to be a slow process to change three decades worth of habit. His greatest focus, he had to admit, had been mending the error of his ways with Naruto. Now with Sakura, he was once again feeling the short comings of his lacking social skills. Had he ignored his female student?

He thought she was doing fine. Better than fine. She got married to Sasuke, who she had been in love with for as long as he knew her. They had a child. She had gotten her dream, and Sasuke's wish to re-establish his clan was fulfilled, as well. It had never occurred to him that there could be any problems between them. Even with Sasuke choosing to take his never ending mission, Sakura had gone out several times a year to take him letters that were too top secret to risk with a messenger hawk or to collect his reports quarterly. Sakura was always beaming when she came into his [and then Naruto's] office.

His mind flipped through every memory of every interaction that he had had or observed of Sakura since the war. What signs did he miss? Was his acceptance of Sasuke's wish for his redemption to blame? Had that been the wrong move?

'No,' he thought. Surely refusing to allow Sasuke his journey to find peace within himself would have only pushed the broody Uchiha away once again. Then who can say what may have happened? Who's to say that Sasuke and Sakura ever would have gotten together then and maybe Sarada would not be with them? 

He sighed as he stared at the memorial stone. His eyes fell to the name of his sensei on the cold, dark surface, 'What would you have done?,' he wondered, 'What would you do now?' Minato-sensei always knew just what to say to fix things. It was a trait Kakashi wished he could've learned from the man. Instead, he hadn't the first clue how to bridge the gap between him and Sakura.

It had been a shock to hear through the grapevine that Sakura had confirmed part of the rumors that had been swirling around the village for the past few days. His first thought had been, 'What rumors?', which is exactly what he had asked Genma at the bar last night. The answer to which was followed closely by the realization that during their time together yesterday she hadn't told him. Not even a peep was mentioned about her and Sasuke.

He shook his head as he stared at the grass swaying around the memorial stone. How bad must it look that he, as the past leader of Team 7, had no idea that two of his teammates had gotten a divorce? Pretty bad, he'd guess.

Looking up to the sky, he noticed that it was slowly darkening. "Hmn, storms blowing in," sighing he reached out to trace the names special to him before standing into his standard slouch. Saying goodbye, he turned to take the path along the stream just like he always did.

* * *

Sakura stood with her hip leaning against the railing of the iconic red bridge. Somehow after dropping Sarada off that morning, she had ended up back here again. Perhaps it was because, in a way, the chapter of her life she had just closed had opened here. It was familiar, a comfort, even.

Yesterday had been nothing short of awful, well... most of yesterday. She was grateful that Kakashi had momentarily decided to distract her. No doubt he had heard.

She had been waiting the whole time for him to bring it up. After all, he was their genin sensei and ex-team leader. Surely, he would have some words about it. One of his odd little remarks, the ones that she could never decide if he even knew what the hell he was talking about. But, he had not said a word about it, and she certainly didn't bring it up.

The last thing she wanted was to end up sobbing on his shoulder. She wasn't a child. She didn't divulge her emotions onto others in a sobbing, helpless heap anymore. Besides, she had cried enough over the last year about the coming end of her marriage and, along with it, her childhood dream. It was Sarada she worried about now.

Sakura slammed her fist into her palm as determination filled her. Just like Team 7 was for Sasuke and Naruto, Sarada had a larger family than just Sakura. She was surrounded by love. Sakura would make certain that Sarada was never lacking in love or support. Their friends would be Sarada's support and extended family system. They were all so close; their kids were all so close. They were like their own clan. A clan of choice, of teamwork and camaraderie, of love and loyalty. Naruto and Hinata really were like her aunt and uncle, and their children-

"Should I be concerned? You look like you either want to punch something or do a jig."

She let her arms drop to rest on the railing behind her, "Ne, you're safe, Kaka-sensei," meeting his quirked brow with a small smile.

He gave his eye crinkled smile before mimicking her pose and leaning against the railing, "Is us meeting in this way to become a habit?"

"It would seem so," she smirked.

Arms crossed in front of his chest, he looked to the sky over the trees as the wind made them sway softly to-and-fro.

Sakura glanced at his profile from the corner of her eye. His body language was off. Instead of his usually slouch, his shoulders seemed tense. If he had wished for solitude, then he could've passed without making his presence known. He had sought her out here once more.

As he continued to watch the wind tousling the leaves and looking completely relaxed to anyone who didn't know better, Sakura grew more and more anxious. Was he disappointed in her for the divorce? Why wasn't he saying anything? Is he waiting for me to say something first? Her tension built up to the point of bursting, she finally turned to face him ready to force it out of him, "Kaka-"

"Why didn't you tell me?" His question cut her off and left her shocked. There was something in his tone that she hadn't heard before. It made her heart drop into her stomach like a stone.

Having deflated, she blinked as she tried to figure out what he meant. Her mind had been ready to rant about his silence on the subject; it had never occurred to her that he actually might not have known. "I- I thought you heard about it," she responded weakly. Her frustration with him feeling lame suddenly. When he merely gave a short nod, still not looking her way, she felt a bubble of guilt rise in her. "Kakashi-sensei, I didn't mean to not tell you. When I got back the other day, it seemed as though the whole village had already known. Not only that but there were some pretty nasty rumors about why we were splitting up. I thought that you working with Naruto would've heard something about it."

After a moment, he nodded more naturally. A small sigh escaped him before he gave her a small smile, "That's perfectly understandable. If I hadn't of resigned my position, I likely would have heard." He rubbed the back of his neck, "I guess part of it is that I feel bad for not noticing that you two were having problems before."

It was her turn to give a small smile, "I didn't _want_ people to know." At the bunching of his brows, she explained, "At first, it was because I thought I could figure it out and it would be fine. But as time went on, it just... Well, even though I knew that we didn't love each other like that anymore, I _do_ still love him and we _are_ a family. I didn't want to leave him without that when he had finally gotten it back. A family..." She fiddled with her fingers, "It took a while to realize that a divorce didn't mean things had to be bad between us afterwards. I could still be there for him, and we have Sarada who bonds us together as a family forever. Sasuke being away hurts Sarada and I just couldn't hold onto something that caused her so much pain. That place feels like a mausoleum without Sasuke in it. Sarada doesn't need that riding on her shoulders like that."

The pause that followed was made heavy by the surge of thoughts each of them became swallowed up in. It was a while before Sakura spoke again.

"Did you know that she had started asking questions when she was only four?" Sakura chuckled slightly, "She has always been a sharp child, a bit too sharp sometimes."

He smirked, "Well, with two brilliant parents, I would expect nothing less."

Sakura's eyes widened as her face flushed. It was silly, but such praise from the man who had been her sensei so long ago still gave her a flood of pride. "Arigato," she glanced at her feet bashfully earning a chuckle from the masked man.

"No need to be embarrassed," his eyes glimmered with mirth as she turned a bit redder. He reached out and tousled her hair only to chuckle more as she shot him a glare and scrambled to correct her wayward locks.

"Baka-sensei," she huffed in annoyance teasingly using a term that a younger, brattier Naruto had thrown at him several times.

He placed a hand over his heart, "So mean to your poor, old sensei."

She scoffed still fixing her hair, "You're not old and you can't be poor seeing as how you've skipped out on so many bills."

He only chuckled in response.

A distant rumbling sounded through the sky as the wind picked up. They both looked to the sky. Sakura turned to Kakashi, "It's about to start pouring. We'd better go."

No sooner had the words left her mouth that the sky opened up and it did just that. Kakashi merely chuckled as his hair became wetter and wetter, drooping down, "You were saying?"

With a scoff, she swatted at his arm, "Well it's too late now. We are soaked." She sighed, "Come on, my place is closer."

With a humored hum from him, they headed to her home and out of the storm.

* * *

Sakura quickly slammed the door shut behind them as they made it to her house. The storm had gone from a steady rain to an outright downpour.

Turning to face Kakashi, her sandals made squishy noises as she moved. Her annoyance turned into a scowl as she caught the amused glimmer in his eyes. "What?" She huffed as she removed the soggy shoes from her feet.

"You look like a drowned cat," he copied her movements and slipped off his own wet shoes.

"Yeah? Well," she removed her red vest over her shirt letting it hit the floor with a wet plop, "you aren't exactly Prince Charming yourself." She picked at the drenched black shirt she was left in before letting out a sigh, "I'm going to go change. If you want to step into the hall bathroom, I'll grab you a change of clothes and toss your stuff in the dryer."

"Oh, uh," he rubbed the back of his neck, "you don't have to do that, Sakura-chan. I can just use my teleportation jutsu home."

She rolled her eyes with a smile, "You can be such a dork, Kaka-sensei, you know that?" He merely blinked as she began to push him towards the bathroom, "Don't be silly. You live on the other side of the village. No sense in wasting chakra. I swear, this is why you boys always used to stress me out."

His bewilderment turned into a new feeling as he listened to her worrying about him. A warm, fuzzy kind of feeling that he wasn't completely used to feeling still. Being cared for.

It was silly. She knew that. He knew that. Kakashi knew his limits. But this is how Sakura cares for them, the men of Team Seven. 'Her boys', she'd often called them. He tended to forget that she clumped him in their along with the rest with the term of endearment- or was it exasperation.

It had been a long time since they had been in a situation where she had to look after their well-being, to be their medic. So, he let her steer him into the bathroom and gladly accepted the warm fluffy towel she pushed into his hands before watching her poutingly stomp out.

Just before she shut the door, he spoke in a near whisper, "Thank you, Sakura."

She hesitated for a second before the door clicked shut.

She paused outside the closed door, cheeks oddly heated for what reason she had no clue. He had said thank you before. Kakashi-sensei was not a rude man...unless paying for a meal was involved. It was, for the most part, a meaningless phrase you robotically said to someone out of politeness, but it had never sounded so genuine nor had he ever seemed so soft.

Going to change, she reveled in the warmth of her leggings and baggy, knit sweater. She pulled on socks before moving to Sasuke's dresser. For a moment, she stood before it frozen, a tiny pang ran through her chest. Funny how even when things are over the smallest thing can just hit you the wrong way.

Shaking it off, she grabbed a pair of sweats and a long-sleeve thermal she had gotten him but that had never been worn. Luckily, Sasuke had liked his street clothes a bit bigger. Not that he actually ever wore street clothes. A knitted scarf caught her eye and she grabbed it too before slamming the dresser shut and padding back down the hall.

Knocking on the bathroom door, she called out, "Do you want to hand me your wet stuff? I have your change of clothes here." There was a pause before the door cracked open. She kept her eyes firmly planted to the side as he took the dry clothes and placed his wet ones in her hands. Once the door shut, she took the neatly folded but very much soaked clothes to the laundry room.

She was in the living room starting the fireplace when she felt the tingle of his chakra as he flared it. It was something he had always done since she met him. For a man of few words, it was a sure way to signal your entrance and it came in handy on missions too. As the third match broke, she let out a soft curse.

"Here, let me," he kneeled beside her before his hands flew through a set of seals. A small katon no-jutsu set the wood aflame.

She soaked in the flash of heat with a content sigh, "The perks of a good fire jutsu."

He chuckled as he followed her waving motion to take a seat in front of the fireplace. Checking to make sure the scarf was properly covering his face, he took his wet mask from his pocket, "Could I dry this as well?" He asked as he looking around seemingly for the possible location of the laundry room.

"Hm? Oh," she took the small loop of fabric before darting down the hall again. Upon returning, she asked, "Would you like some hot tea?"

"If you want some," he rubbed his neck again. He couldn't help feeling a bit awkward. Normally when he was at Sakura's it was in a group, with it just being himself, he didn't want to be any trouble.

Sakura merely scoffed and shook her head, "You really are silly sometimes." At his sheepish shrug, she shook her head, "I'm going to make me some hot tea. Would you like some as well?"

He smirked at her obvious amusement before nodding, "I would. Thank you."

From his cozy spot, he could hear her moving around, cabinets opening and closing, the clicking of the stove as the element lit, water from the sink. He tapped his thumbs on the arms of the armchair as he looked around. He had never really noticed the details of Sakura's home. It surprised him that the space seemed to not fit her at all. Then again, considering it was the Uchiha compound, he supposed she had practically worked magic on the place.

The space fit Sasuke's personality more than anything. Minimal, nothing unnecessary. A place and purpose for each item. Even so, the closer he looked, he could see a little of Sakura shining through. A soft throw blanket here. A few medical textbooks mixed with the books of history and politics on the bookshelf. The biggest touch, however, was on the walls and scattered sparsely and tastefully on various shelves in the room.

There were photos in frames all around. Images of Sarada in various stages of growth, Team Seven's first picture beside the one of Team Kakashi and by that the newer Team Kakashi with Yamato and Sai as well, Ino and Sakura in a field of flowers, other various glimpses of friends and family.

He paused as one picture on a shelf with others caught his eye. It was a picture of him, one he hadn't even known was taken. He had been standing behind his desk in his office looking out the window down to the sprawling village as it was still being rebuilt. It was a bit artistic in its angle and lighting. He was surprised that he had not known it was being taken at the time. From the looks of it, he had been in deep thought about something. Suddenly the memory sprang forth, it was the day he had been sworn in as Hokage. He had felt overwhelmed by the new burden, and the heavy ceremonial robes of his new position hadn't helped.

He chuckled slightly at that; after that day he refused to wear the whole outfit, and instead settled on the hat and normal gear that the council insisted were embroidered with his title "Rokudaime", unless it had been official business or a meeting with dignitaries, in which he had to wear the whole silly thing.

Looking around at the other photos, Kakashi realized that a great many were candid pictures like this. Several more had him in them as well, though no more were of him alone.

"Snooping already?"

He hid the fact that she had startled him as he turned to face her with an eye crinkled smile. She had gotten better at sneaking up on him... Or he was just getting old. He gladly took the offered tea before gesturing to the photos, "I didn't know you were into photography." He watched bemused and a bit curious as her cheeks flushed and she averted her eyes.

As she sat, Sakura stared at her cup. It was a bit embarrassing, the reason behind why she had gotten curious about photography. When he cleared his throat, she glanced up before giving him a good glare. Its effect was null. He was simply too amused getting her flustered. With a sigh, she admitted how her hobby began.

"It was back when I was still a genin, back before Sasuke had left. One day, Naruto, Sasuke and I were bored and had decided that we would try to get a glimpse behind your mask again. We were talking over our plans when a man showed up. He, well, he was a photographer, you see, and he wanted to help us. He said a picture of your face would be worth a lot of money, so he would help out. I'm sure you remember this. It was the time you caught us in the Ninja Records room with that stranger."

He gave a nod; it was all he could manage without cracking and laughing out right. He knew exactly what she was referring to. He knew exactly the man she was taking about. That man had been him in disguise after all. Playing his role, however, he tapped his chin, "Hn, that's right. What was his name again?"

"Sukea," she answered without hesitation.

He couldn't help his smirk as her cheeks reddened once she realized that she answered so quickly.

Sakura eyed him curiously for a moment before deciding that his smirk wasn't (probably) as smug as it seemed. Continuing, she said, "Well, it is silly, but he was very clever and ... did you know he had been in ANBU? And I guess, I thought- I mean, he was handsome." She flushed deeper, "Anyways, the way he spoke about photography, it seemed that he was pretty passionate about it. He made me curious about it too. I just kind of picked it up after that and haven't stopped since."

When she looked up, Kakashi's eyes were wide and his cheeks visible above the scarf were pink. He looked surprised? Embarrassed, maybe?

It made her feel embarrassed about the story. She huffed in what she hoped appeared as nonchalance even as her words rushed out, "I was just a silly little girl with a crush." After a moment, she spoke softer as she looked around at the photographs scattered about the room, "But I am glad I tried it out." She trailed off as she looked over some of the pictures around the room.

His shock faded, though the warmth in his face seemed determined to stay. Still, a small smile quirked the corner of his mouth upwards, a tender smile, "I'm sure he would be flattered to hear it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter is out!
> 
> How did you enjoy a little Kakashi and Sakura bonding? I want to establish that these characters have done a lot of living. They are not the same people they were at the end of Shippuden. 
> 
> Life has changed them. Even though they are ex-Teammates and have known each other for a long time, they are discovering that they may not KNOW each other as well as they may have thought.
> 
> This is KakaSaku bound, but I dont know about you, I enjoy the journey it takes for the characters to get there. I want the pairing to seem as natural as anything once it arrives.
> 
> I hope you enjoy the ride with me.
> 
> Let me know what you think! I really do love hearing feedback. :)


	6. Bonding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kakashi and Sakura's relationship develops

Kakashi had not been able to get that rainy afternoon spent sitting in front of Sakura's fireplace out of his head.

They had sipped hot tea and played catch up with the goings on of each others lives. He wasn't one to talk about himself at all. Most would attribute the words "reclusive" or "private" to describe the man.

Somehow without prying or being nosy, Sakura had managed to get Kakashi to open up. They had discussed the war and seeing his old teammates among other things. Before he had realized it, he was telling her all about his decision after the war to try to be there for Naruto and his reasons behind it. It really should have bothered him how easily she had him spilling all of his thoughts. If she had wanted to make a career out of Interrogation, he believed she would have put even Ibiki to shame.

The sharing was far from one-sided either. Sakura had told him about the crumbling of her marriage, the struggle to keep up images as her daughter got older, and her fears that it would all impact Sarada. She even mentioned that it was a shame the Uchiha heir likely wouldn't be taught about her bloodline gifts since Sasuke seemed hell bent on staying gone. They parted only when Sakura had to go pickup Sarada from the Academy.

_"She can make it home on her own, of course. She is a ninja after all," she shrugged, "but when work allows me to, I like to give her that tiny sense of normalcy, you know? Just to treat her like a kid her age instead of a ninja-in-training."_

It was a nice thought, he believed. One that more should try to do for the kids at the Academy, honestly. After all, they _were_ just kids.

His generation was a prime example of what happened when the village forgot that important fact. While it is true that many of the kids had their families waiting for them outside the Academy at day's end, it was almost always the Civilian parents that did so. Those from ninja families were often expected to grow up even faster than the average student. It was just another thing Kakashi learned that day that shed a little different light on how he viewed Sakura.

Perhaps it was this shift in how he viewed Sakura that had him still analyzing the afternoon repeatedly. He couldn't get Sakura's story out of his head. He had known she wasn't the little genin she once was for ages. The war had erased any lingering such thoughts, if he subconsciously had any at all. But the image he had, whatever it had been, of Sakura, was gone. In her place was a kind, intelligent woman and loving mother whose company he found he rather enjoyed.

It shouldn't have been an odd revelation. They had never _not_ gotten along, even as a genin obsessed with boys, he had never not gotten along with her. He hadn't exactly known what to do with her either. The village's decision to put her on a team with the nine-tails boy and the last Uchiha set up a situation where focus was almost required to be directed away from her in those early times. Later on, when Team Kakashi had formed, the pair had developed an excellent teamwork.

Perhaps it was because they never spent time alone together that wasn't somehow related to work or training or team building, but Kakashi never realized how good of company that Sakura was. He almost felt like he had been cheated out of a good friendship. He had his friends, Gai being the closest. Even they had never really sat down and just talked about their thoughts and experiences in such depth and detail has Kakashi had with Sakura. It had been different somehow.

Now that she had shared her fears and doubts with him, he had this urge to help. But how? She did not need financial help. She was head of Konoha Hospital and the medic ANBU called when discretion was key; both of those jobs alone were some of the top paying in Konoha. Add to that her medic lessons she taught as well as the occasional medical seminar that other villages would request for her, and honestly, out of all of her peers and most of his own, she was probably the most well off.

So how could he help? It was this thought swirling in his head that made his feet unconsciously lead him to the Academy one morning some two weeks later. Sakura calling out to him, through the gathered crowd of parents and teachers as students scrambled inside the building, was what snapped him to reality out of his thoughts.

He would've been surprised to be were he was, if the sight of her excited wave over the heads of several people, didn't distract him from his reflections. She laughed about having seen more of him the last month than in the 6 months prior. He had made a comment about exaggerations, and then she was inviting him to her home for brunch.

The following day he had been at the red bridge after his morning walk when she spotted him on her way back, and after chatting a short while, his stomach had grumbled embarrassingly loud.

Her laugh swept his heated cheeks away into a grin as she hooked her arm through his, "Come on, you. Brunch it is again."

"Mah, Sakura," he stated as he rubbed the back of his neck, "you don't have to do that. I can grab something."

"I don't mind. Besides, I've gotten a new tea in from Ino that I've been wanting to try out."

"Tea?" he perked up.

She rolled her eyes playfully as they went.

* * *

For the following two months, they'd meet up at the bridge each week day morning. Some times they'd wander around the village or he'd walk with her to work as they grabbed coffees and breakfast on the go, but always they'd end up back at her place for brunch if she was not going into the Hospital that day. It had been nice spending time together, Sakura thought. After all this time, she finally felt like she was getting to know Kakashi the man, instead of just Hatake Kakashi, the Copy Ninja.

She was surprised how funny he really was. Though his sense of humor was dryer than most, he often had her laughing, which was nice. It was an extra successful day if she was able to get a chuckle out of him as well. Their talks were always easy. There had never been an awkward silence.

And yet-

She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye.

Their morning had gone exactly the same as always. Easy conversation and a nice cup of tea after brunch, but seemingly suddenly, Kakashi had become distracted. Not that he was any quieter than usual. They didn't spend every waking second together talking by any means, but the silences had always been relaxing and natural.

She eyed him, lips pursed. There was something about the parts of his face that she could see that held the expression of a quiet man struggling to formulate something he wanted to say. If he focused on the wall any harder, Sakura was certain he would go cross-eyed. 

Seeing as how he apparently wasn't ever going to spit out whatever he wanted to say, she decided to take pity on the poor man. She sat down her empty tea cup before adjusting her position to face his favorite spot in her armchair better. Clasping her hands in front of her, she sighed, "Well?"

"Hm?" He almost visibility snapped out of his revere.

"What has you thinking so hard over there?" She quirked a brow as she watched his eyes narrow as he tried to figure out what she was talking about. A small smirk tilted her mouth, "Oh come on, Kakashi-sensei, you were in such deep thought there for a moment I was worried your brows we're going to get stuck all bunched up that way forever."

After a slow blink, he let out a soft chuckle. Rubbing his neck, Kakashi rather sheepishly apologized, "I guess it's not the nicest thing to zone out like that when you are a guest, is it?"

She could only roll her eyes half-heartedly, "Don't be ridiculous. We've known each other for so long- I think we are past the formal niceties, ne? I was more concerned. I haven't seen you space out like that before, well, unless you were faking it of course." She gave him a mischievous grin.

He was a bit surprised and it showed in the lifting of his brows before he let out another chuckle, "You never cease to surprise me, Sakura-chan."

She waved him off as she took his empty cup and hers to the kitchen refilling their cups with a freshly brewed hot tea, "I have to keep you boys on your toes." From her kitchen, she could see into the living room. He was fixated at the wall again. Maybe he wasn't ready to talk about it yet, she thought as she poured.

"How are you really, Sakura?" he spoke after a moment. All humor was gone from his voice. The serious, yet gentle concern of his tone left no doubt what exactly he was referring to specifically.

She was caught off guard. As he turned finally to watch her from his seat, his expression held the same gentleness of his tone, but his dark gray eyes were focused, observing her for any tells. It was her turn to stare at nothing.

"About the divorce, you mean?" She asked even though she knew what he meant.

He nodded, taking the cup she brought over to him, "Arigato."

She smiled at his politeness, taking her seat in the armchair next to his with a sigh. After their talk the day it rained, they had avoided discussing it. Well, avoided was a strong word. It just hadn't come up, at least not to her. He was surprisingly good at being a distraction.

"You don't have to answer that," he spoke finally, taking her lack of answer the wrong way, "I don't mean to pry."

"No," her voice a bit louder than she meant. He looked at her with lifted brows. She placed her hand on his arm. "It's not that I don't want to talk about it with you," she gave his arm a light squeeze, "So don't think that, ok?" Once he gave a tilt of his head in agreement, she returned to fidgeting with her cup. "I'm fine, really," she began, "No, I'm more than fine."

A small smile of relief lit up her face. It made her eyes glimmer in a way that had his own smile forming to match hers.

"I feel like I should feel guilty about this, but I honestly feel freer now. Sasuke and I had been feeling the strain of trying to act like everything in our marriage was fine. Neither of us wanted to hurt the other. It was so hard for so long, Kakashi. At first I thought I had to hide all this from everyone, and then to hide it from Sarada. And now-" she sighed slouching into the couch.

"Sakura, there is nothing wrong with being happy," he said as he studied her for a moment, "you shouldn't feel guilty about that."

After a moment her head lulled to look at Kakashi-sensei. "You know she didn't react at all when I told her? Sarada hasn't spoken about it. It worries me. She keeps things to herself sometimes. She takes after Sasuke in that way."

It was his turn to reach out. His hand dwarfed her shoulder as he gave her a comforting squeeze, "Don't worry. She will talk when she is ready. She is probably just trying to come to terms with it."

Her mouth had formed a small frown, "But what if she falls into depression? Divorces are notorious for causing that in the children."

"Sakura, you are a good mother, but even you can't help if she gets a bit down from this. That doesn't mean she won't pull out of it. She just needs time to process it all. If she starts down the darker road, you'll see it," he said without a shadow of doubt as he sipped from his hot tea.

She watched his profile for a moment. Her eyes searching until the furrow between her brows smoothed and a grateful smile blossomed, "Thank you, Kakashi-sensei."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this chapter.
> 
> My main goal when writing this story was to show Kakashi and Sakura's relationship develop in a super organic and realistic way. I think there is something kind of beautiful about the way things can kind of fall into place. I very much want that feel here.
> 
> In rewriting this chapter, I focused on Kakashi's internal reflections about the evolving view he has of Sakura. I also wanted to make sure the time line was more clear.
> 
> Sakura and Sasuke's divorce was finalized 3 months ago. Kakashi and Sakura's first afternoon hanging out was 2 and a half months ago. They've been bonding more and more over the last 2 months, and have fallen into a routine of having brunch together on weekdays or even just walking each other to work.
> 
> Anywho, I hope you liked it!


	7. Something Small Means A Lot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the small things.

Out on his typical morning stroll, Kakashi was overwhelmed with a sense of boredom. It was an odd and new development, and he had a good idea exactly which vivacious pinkette was too blame for making the solitude of the morning less than appealing. Days she worked meant his mornings were somewhat lacking.

Slouching further in a unhealthy mix of annoyance (at himself mostly) and disgust (also mostly at himself but the boredom was too blame here too), he mechanically lifted a hand to wave the standard greeting that was required of him as he passed two figures out in front of the Academy.

"Hokage-sama!" The unmistakable voice of Iruka being unmistakably panicked reached his ears.

'Welp,' he thought, 'so much for boredom.'

"Yo," he greeted as he came to a stop by the pair. It was then that he noticed Shino, who looked a bit on edge. Interest fully peaked and with nothing else to do with his day, he couldn't help but find himself asking, "Anything I can help with?" He blamed his newfound boredom, maybe he should look into a hobby… like knitting. He did like scarves.

Iruka's hands began wringing his shirt hem, "Eh, well, I think considering the circumstances you might be able to help."

Shino spoke up with a steadier demeanor, "Are you familiar with Sarada-chan's scent?"

That was not what he was expecting. "I should have a strong enough grasp of it," he admitted before eyeing Shino as if searching for his bugs. Doesn't the Aburame Clan track? After a brief pause, he rubbed his neck as he said, "This is where I ask why you'd ask such a strange question."

Iruka seemed to become closer to his chipper self, "That's good news. Shino has to supervise his class and his bugs are out of commission-"

"It's the breeding and nesting season," he clarified matter-of-factly.

"Right," Iruka nodded before realizing that Kakashi still had no idea what was going on. He explained, "We need you to track Sarada-chan down. She didn't show up to class today and Sakura-san always drops a note by if she is sick. Something must be wrong."

Kakashi's stomach dropped, "Has Sakura been informed?"

Iruka hesitated, "N-no, not yet." He groaned and rubbed a hand over his face, "We were waiting to see if she'd come in late, but it's into the 4th hour now. I was just about to send a messenger to the Hospital."

At this, Shino seemed even more nervous. Kakashi sighed. He couldn't blame the two for their nervousness in regards to Sakura's reaction to her daughter missing. No doubt, her fist would be involved in that reaction and Konoha was finally fully rebuilt. It wouldn't do to have to rebuild some more.

In an instant, Kakashi bit his finger and flown through a series of seals before slamming his palm to the ground. A cloud of smoke erupted immediately. He gave his orders to his pack before calling, "scatter," signaling the ninja hounds to flash away on their mission.

Kakashi turned his attention back to the pair behind him, "Alright, here's the plan. The pack is going to track her scent. If I haven't sent word that I have found her within the hour, Sakura is to be informed, even if she is in surgery. Have someone relieve her without causing her alarm until she is out of the operating room, if that is the case. Otherwise, I will inform her of the matter myself when she gets off work this evening. Until we find out what happened here, we are not to cause panic. I have a feeling this is nothing malicious."

"But what if it is because of her being an Uchiha?" Iruka asked genuinely concerned about the possibility that she could've been kidnapped for her kekkei-genkai.

"Let's deal with 'what-ifs' if I am not able to find her scent within the village," with that, Kakashi gave a two fingered salute before darting off in search of Sarada.

* * *

Kakashi landed beside Pakkun in front of a set of gates that he had not set foot near in many years.

While Sasuke had begun to refurbish a part of the compound that Sakura's house was located in, it was in the far out skirts of the vast place. Truthfully, the Uchiha's had their own little village inside of a village, and Sakura's home was closer to being a part of Konoha than the central area that the prominent Uchiha's had lived in. The rest of the Compound remained largely ruins.

The place still seemed to have a heavy air about it. It made him feel claustrophobic, an affliction that he didn't have anywhere else but here. Since the days of Team Minato, the Uchiha Compound only ever held bad memories.

Kneeling down, he pat his furry friend's head, "Gomen, Pakkun. Go tell Iruka that we've found her."

"Hai," the little pug answered in a gruff voice. Pausing, Pakkun looked at his longtime friend and pack leader in concern. "You sure you don't want me to send one of the others?"

The smile Kakashi gave him was false, but both parties knew what it meant. He wasn't completely alright with it, but it had to be done. The whoosh of air at the little pug's departure was Kakashi's signal; it was time.

Walking on the decrepit paved streets, Kakashi couldn't help but be reminded of his times spent here in his youth. Running through the streets chasing Obito, Rin hollering for them to stop fighting, Minato laughing and apologizing to the people they ran past. He had good memories here as well as sad ones.

But all of that was washed over with red now.

The night of the massacre had painted this place red with the blood of the Uchiha. It was more gruesome than many battlefields. Throats had been slashed open, infants killed sleeping in their beds, mothers shielding their children. Many of the ANBU sent for cleanup had vomited at the sights. He had been one of them. It was a sight that couldn't be unseen, no matter how hard he had tried.

Majority of the complex was now gone. It had not been rebuilt. Instead, what survived had been cleaned up of debris and left to ruin, and the rest turned into a field. There had been plans to make it a park eventually, but no one wanted to step foot on the grounds. It was cursed, they said. Of course, it wasn't really cursed. Well, except to carry the memory of that tragedy for all time.

Glancing around, he took note of the spot of the Police Station that was now gone. It had been the central part of the Uchiha compound and now was an empty lot. Taking the only option, Kakashi turned left down a small street behind the last row of the two blocks still standing by the entrance.

This path lead to a small pond. There on the dock sat Sarada. Relief washed over him.

Slowly, he walked down the wooden planks. As he stood by her, he saw her quickly rubbing her cheeks as though to hide that she had been crying. Her face remained down, her hair a curtain. "I'm sorry for causing trouble," she spoke in a flat tone.

He wished for his sensei's way with words to be able to comfort the young girl. Instead, he went with his usual humor, "Hm, trouble? I'm merely here looking for a new hiding spot. This spot isn't taken, is it?" He asked pointing to the spot beside her on the dock.

Her head whipped up to face him as he spoke. Scrambling to her feet, "H-Hatake-sama!"

He merely sat in his spot casually, as though oblivious to the panic of the young Uchiha beside him, "Hmn, it is kind of nice here."

Gaping still, Sarada tried to calm herself. She must be in big trouble if they sent someone like Hatake Kakashi after her, "H-hai." She spoke nervously. She hadn't ever really talked to him before, but she knew all about him. He was an incredibly skilled Shinobi, as all who become Hokage were, and he had lead the famous Team Seven and, therefore, her parents and Hokage-sama.

He gave her a smile, "Come sit," he patted the spot she had vacated when she scrambled to her feet, "I want to show you something. It's a game my father used to play with me on times like this."

Hesitating for a moment, Sarada's curiosity took over. Siting, she asked, "Times like this, Hatake-sama? What do you mean?"

He chuckled, "Please, called me Kakashi. Hatake-sama makes me feel old." He smiled at her, relieved when the corner of her mouth quirked upwards the tiniest bit. "And I meant times when you are feeling sad."

Brows bunched, Sarada looked back to her lap. Kakashi waited patiently. Finally, a tiny nod let him know she was ready.

"Alright, it's called 'Two Truths and A Lie'. You have to say three things about yourself, one of which is false, and then I have to guess which one is the false one," he explained. Glancing at her, he chuckled at her confused expression, "I'll go first to show you what I mean. Hm, let's see... Ah! I've got it." Ticking off a finger for each one, he began, "I have a secret reading spot. My hair is naturally red. And, I don't like sweets. Now then, you guess which one is false."

Sarada studied him for a second before a small giggle escaped her, "G-gomen Kakashi-sama, but you'd look really funny with red hair."

He smirked as she giggled again, "Is that your pick then?" She nodded. "Very good. You guessed it. Now it's your turn."

Smiling now, Sarada swung her feet as they dangled over the dock, "Okay, I am ready." Counting off on her fingers like he did, she began, "I like to read. I like sweets. And, I once found a pervy book in Shino-sensei's desk."

Kakashi chuckled, "Well, I will have to have a word with him about being more careful about where he places his reading material, ne Sarada-chan?"

She gaped, "How did you know that wasn't the lie?"

"Because your voice was even and you weren't fidgeting like you did when you said you liked sweets," he smiled at her bewildered look, "I've got years of training to spot a lie. This next time I will close my eyes when you go to make it a bit fairer." Seemingly satisfying Sarada, Kakashi went again, "hm, green is my favorite color. Photography is a hobby of mine. And, eggplant is my least favorite vegetable."

Sarada scrunched up her nose, "Eggplant is gross, but I'm going to say Photography is false."

"Wrong and eggplant is delicious," he smiled.

"Wow, really! Did you know that Mom likes Photography too?" She asked.

He merely smiled, "Is that so?"

"Mhm," she nodded, "She is really good at it too. You should see some of her pictures sometime."

"I would like that," he grinned humorously. He, of course, already knew of Sakura's hobby and had seen her pictures. "I believe you are next," he reminded.

Tapping her chin, Sarada appeared to be in deep thought for a moment, "Slugs kind of creep me out. Chōchō is my best friend. And, I don't really know if-" she paused before continuing, "I don't really know if I want to be a ninja." As she finished, her smile had vanished.

Kakashi frowned as her demeanor wilted before him. His diversion had worked to distract her from her troubles for a while, but now it seemed he was getting to the bottom of some of what was causing her to be so down. "That's okay, you know," he spoke calmly. "Sometimes we aren't sure what we want and that's okay. You'll figure it out in time."

"But," she sniffled, "my parents are both such great Shinobi... Or at least that's what people say. They say mom is super strong and that she can break mountains with her little finger and that she saved thousands, but I've only ever seen her work at the hospital all the time. I- I've never met my Papa, but all people tell me how powerful he is… and other things..." She hiccuped before continuing, "Did- did he really try and kill Mom and Hokage-sama?"

Kakashi paled, "Who told you that?"

"I heard some of the parents at school talking," she explained, "They were outside of the school this morning. They didn't see me, but they were talking about Mom and Dad getting a divorce and said that they never understood why Mom married a guy who abandoned his village and tried to kill her and the Hokage. Is that true, Kakashi-sama?"

He was _not_ prepared for this. Furthermore, he wanted to find those parents and give them a piece of his mind. He knew all too well how cruel people could be. Kakashi sighed. He would not to lie to her and telling her to ask her mother could push her away when she was ready to talk now.

"When your father was young, he had a lot of pain and sadness inside him. A very bad man took advantage of that and taught him to be angry, because of this, he did somethings that he later regretted." He explained in a way a child may be able to understand. She didn't need all the nasty details, but she did deserve the truth. "But your father is a hero. He didn't destroy this village. In the end, he chose to help save it and everyone in it. Even now, he is fighting to protect this village and all who live inside it. Don't let the words of people who don't know the whole story hurt you. People can be mean when they don't understand. Remember that."

Next thing he knew, tiny arms were around his neck.

She cried about the mean words people had said. She cried about her parents' divorce. She cried about not knowing her father.

As Sarada cried, Kakashi listened, gently rubbing her back and shushing her until she dozed off in his arms.

Carefully, he stood holding her with her face resting on his shoulder, his hand cradling her head. For a 10 year old, she was very small. As he walked down the forgotten streets of the compound, Sarada stirred back into consciousness.

Sleepily from her spot on his shoulder, she asked, "Kakashi-sama?"

"Yes, Sarada-chan?"

"Could you tell me more about my Papa?"

He could understand her curiosity for the parent she had never met. It was a feeling he had gone through as a child, only he had no one who he could ask, or rather, he hadn't been able to ask. And so, it was with a gentle smile that he began, "Let me start at the beginning. The first time I met your father, he was very young. It was before he was even in the Academy and I was stopping by his house to pick up his older brother."

"I had an uncle?"

"Hai, Itachi was his name and he was a kind-hearted person," he answered. Perhaps, he would have to sugarcoat and dodge certain things for a while longer, he thought as he glanced at the small girl clinging to his words. 'Let her keep her innocence a bit longer.'

* * *

Kakashi visibly deflated as he shut the front door of Sakura's home behind him. He almost regretted his thoughts this morning about boredom, as his day had taken a turn for anything but that almost immediately after forming the thought. Still, he thought to himself, it hadn't been a bad day either. His ear picked up Sarada's voice from inside the home he had just walked out of. The young Uchiha seemed much better than when he had found her hours earlier. Ino had brought over Inojin, Sai, and dinner, and all were currently inside with Sarada eating. He had been very grateful, as food had been the last thing on his mind. 

He needed to go find Sakura. Night had fallen and she was already a bit later than usual. Undoubtedly, she was trying to get ahead on paperwork, but he knew she'd be less than thrilled if he didn't go and inform her of today's events. He knew her enough to know that she'd be upset with herself for staying over at work when there was something bothering her daughter. 

Jumping to the rooftops for speed, he went over today in his head. He hoped Sakura wouldn't be upset with him for not coming to get her right away. He knew how busy and stressed she was with work right now. Honestly, his first thought had been focused on locating Sarada, and he hadn't put too much thought into how upset Sakura may be that he had not gotten her involved immediately.

Pushing off another rooftop, the hospital came into view in the distance. He found a ball of nerves settle in his stomach, making him swallow hard. He could only hope that she wouldn't be too upset with him, and just glad that Sarada had not been injured or worse. Shaking those thoughts off, he put more into his movements and less thought into why Sakura being mad with him made his stomach drop like a stone.

* * *

* * *

It was a Monday. And, like all Mondays generally did, it had sucked. 

Her schedule was hectic, which it honestly always was any way, but it was made worse by Naruto's forced two week "vacation", aka Family Drama Leave, that he had demanded she take after returning with her divorce scrolls. Every since those two weeks, she had been struggling to get caught up with all the planning for the new wing of the hospital. Her blonde, knuckle-headed Hokage refused to let her work any overtime at all so she could balance her work and home-life. 

She would've been glad for his caring and thoughtfulness, if she hadn't of wanted to strangle him over it at the same time.  This week would be the grand opening of the new Naruto Pediatric and Neonatal wing, an area dedicated to the births and lives of the village's children. She had decided to dedicate the wing to Naruto, who was beyond humbly honored.

It had been a chaotic three months outside of work as well, however. The divorce had been finalized. Their estates had been divided, but also not divided since Sasuke had made clear that she was an Uchiha clan member for life now, married or not. They were and would always be family. He had wanted her name to stay on the estate matters along with his. 

After all, he was never in the village to deal with the estate and Sakura was actually really good at dealing with that accept of clan revival; plus, Sarada was the heir, so it all just made sense. Financially, her money and Sasuke's was separated, but Sasuke insisted that estate costs and upkeep and all things Sarada be taken from the Uchiha funds, i.e. his own. He had tried to insist that Sakura get additional support from the funds monthly to help with anything else she may need, to which she quickly reminded him that she was very well off on her own, and was not about to have him fully support her with them now divorced.

Other than correspondence with Sasuke over the divorce finalizations, her first bout of newly divorced life and forced lighter work left her with more free time. She didn't have much else to do except enjoy her new morning routine with Kakashi. After such a period of not being able to get overtime in and the hurdles of opening a new wing of the hospital, she understood Tsunade's eagerness to get the hell out of dodge when her term as Hokage was up. Of course, what Naruto didn't know, couldn't hurt him, and occasionally, she'd manage to sneak in some extra time here and there.

At the current moment, for instance, she had been officially off work an hour ago, but was stuck in her office still signing forms, requests, and waivers. It was the usual hospital stuff that had been put on the back-burner during the day as she finalized the hiring of the new staff for the new wing. Sighing as she signed the last paper, she slouched back into her chair with a wince at the stiffness of her back.

Maybe Naruto was onto something. Delegating some of her tasks wouldn't be such a bad idea. She really needed to look into an assistant or a Secretary or a bartender. She'd be happy with any of them at this point.

Standing, she organized the stack of papers before placing them in a folder to be dropped off on her way out. The night shift people had already arrived, letting her know it was after 6pm. She groaned as she realized Sarada would've been home for a good while now. She hated not being able to see her home on days she worked later, but Choji and his daughter always walked her home when she was held up at work, which was very kind of him.

Stepping foot outside, she stopped to breathe in air that didn't smell of antiseptic, stretching out the kinks from the day. As a series of delicious pops went through her back and a particularly nice one from the general area of her sternum, she let out a damned near indecent groan of relief.

"Do you always do that?"

"Bwaaah!" She jumped at the sudden voice from beside her. She had spun to face him with fists aglow with chakra knives and ready to kick a creepy robber's ass. That is, until she zeroed in on messy silver hair and his specific flare of chakra. Damn, she really was tired. As he gave a little wave with a wiggle of his fingers, she let out a long sigh, dragging a hand over her face, "Kaka-sensei, I nearly permanently rearranged your face just then."

"Good thing I wear a mask then, ne?"

She peaked at him between her fingers before a giggle escaped her lips. Tension fully forgotten, she bumped his shoulder as they walked down the sidewalk, "You really are a dork, you know that?"

"You tell me so often, how could I forget?" He grinned as she laughed again. Once her giggles subsided and she was wiping sleepily at her eyes, he held a to-go cup in front of her. "Rough day?"

Her eyes widened at the drink. She knew the logo; it was her favorite coffee place. She took it gratefully breathing in the delicious aroma before taking a sip of the sinful brew. A pleased groan and sigh rushed out of her, "You are the best. And it was horrible. I'm seriously considering going to Naruto with a request to ban fireworks because, I swear to you, people find dumber and dumber things to do with them each year. I've treated burns in places that you wouldn't believe. I mean, what makes someone think that shooting a Roman Candle out of their butt would be a good idea? Seriously! A  _ Chunin _ was in today because he had done just that. And these are the people who protect our village, Kaka-sensei."

His grin grew with her story until he was out right chuckling, "That sounds like a lost bet to me." At her incredulous glance, he shrugged, "Gai," he offered as though that explained everything... which it did.

She rolled her eyes, "Men are so weird." After a moment she added, "If you ever burn your butt from being so stupid, I will make sure you have to heal the old fashion, civilian way."

He faked a look of offense, "Sakura, there are some bets even Gai couldn't get me to do."

She let out a small noise of disbelief from behind her coffee. Grinning at his pout, she sighed, "So besides deciding to gift me with this cup of heaven, what had you sneaking outside of my work so late?"

"I wasn't sneaking," he scoffed lightly, "You are just getting rusty."

Her eyes glimmered as she stared him down, "Want to take this to the training grounds and I'll show you how rusty I've gotten,  _ sensei _ ?"

He gulped at the fiery glint in her eyes, "Ne, Sakura-chan, I was only teasing." He chuckled nervously before clearing his throat, "I actually had something to tell you. On my walk this morning, I ran into a rather frantic Shino and Iruka standing outside of the Academy."

Sakura's heart dropped. Iruka, being the headmaster of the Academy now was hardly ever outside the school during class hours unless something was wrong. She felt a rising panic begin to build, "It's about Sarada, isn't it?"

He nodded before explaining, "She didn't go to school today-"

"WHAT?!" Sakura screeched making his ears ring.

He interrupted her panicked ranting, "Sakura, Sakura," grabbing her shoulders he forced her to stop and look at him, "I found her. She was  _ fine _ ."

With a shaky breath, "Ok," Sakura wiped a tear before nodding, "Ok. I'm fine. But, ... Where was she all day then?"

Kakashi sighed. His shoulders slumped and he averted his gaze off to the distance. "She was in the old side of the Uchiha Compound."

As Sakura took off from the hospital with Kakashi at her side, "Tell me everything on the way," she demanded.

As they rushed across town, Kakashi told her the story about what had happened earlier. The further into his retelling they got the more her ruling emotions shifted. By the end, she had gone from terrified and blistering mad to irritated and worried to a tinge of shock and affection for the man beside her. Mostly, she was just sad.

"I'm sorry I didn't come get you right away. I should have-" he was cutoff.

"Kakashi, don't apologize," she reached out as they raced across the rooftops, her hand giving his arm a squeeze, "You sprang into action to search for my baby. I can never repay you for finding my little girl. If anything ever happened to her-" her voice cracked.

He placed his hand over hers on his arm, "You owe me nothing, Sakura."

She scoffed, "On the contrary, I owe you everything."

He disagreed, but understood her sentiment. They pushed harder as the neared a vast break in the buildings of the village ahead of them.

"To think that she'd wander into that place all alone," Sakura sighed as they passed by the decrepit Uchiha Compound on the way to her home across the field.

Kakashi purposely avoided looking at the foreboding gates. He had gotten his share today, thank you very much. From in front of the remnants of the Uchiha compound, you could look across the large open field that had been the rest of the complex to the other side. There sat Sakura and Sarada's home.  For not the first time and probably not the last, Kakashi wondered at the sheer amount of self-torment Sasuke was capable of putting himself through. Why someone would pick this place of all the homes in Konoha to make your marital home, he would never understand.

When they raced across the open field, Ino and Sai appeared outside her home, a sleeping Inojin rested across his father's back. Sakura came to a stop before her low garden gate first. 

Sai's smile was easier, more natural these days. The one he wore for Sakura now showed his concern for his friend, "Sarada and Inojin fell asleep. She is in her room now, Blossom." 

The corner of Sakura's mouth tilted upwards at his nickname for her. He had taken to calling her "Blossom" instead of "Ugly" once she became pregnant with Sarada. He had said motherhood made her bloom. She looked from her longtime teammate to her longtime friend, "Thank you both for coming over. Kakashi told me that you guys brought over food. Sorry to burden you all. I shouldn't have stayed late today."

Ino waved her off, "Don't sweat it, forehead. You'd do and have done the same for us. We know how much stress you've been under with everything."

"This is what friends do," Sai added, as Ino gave her a half hug on their way out. 

Sakura was touched. She swallowed a lump as they left for their own home. She had amazing people around her. Her mind flitted to the man standing quietly at her side, no book in sight. He especially had gone above and beyond for her today. The lump turned to warmth in her chest.

As she pushed passed the small gate that allowed access into the small garden Sakura had in front of her home, Kakashi stopped, "Well, I should leave you to it." He gave a reassuring smile, feeling it was best that he wasn't present when Sakura had to get into 'Mom Mode'. He could only imagine the ear-full Sarada was about to get. This was a thing to be dealt with between the two of them as a family. However, the look on Sakura's face gave him pause.

She was fidgeting with her hem and chewing on her lip. When she looked up at him, he was surprised that instead of angry she seemed sad and nervous. "I don't-" she sighed running a hand through her hair, "I don't know what to do, Kakashi-sensei. I'm no good at this. How can I talk someone through any injury or psychological trauma beside, but the thought of talking about this with my daughter terrifies me? What if I don't handle this right? She already has faced so much. I just, I just feel so lost right now."

His heart clenched at the expression her eyes held as she met his glance. It had to be hard to be parenting alone. Even for all those around her that loved her and helped when they could, in times such as this, it was a big burden to bare by yourself without emotional support. She looked so fragile, which was the one thing Sakura was not. It killed him to see her like this. 

"Sakura," he spoke softly, placing a hand on her shoulder, "don't ever doubt that you are exactly what Sarada needs. You are a wonderful mother. Everything will be just fine."  When she seemed to flinch, he wanted to throw himself off a cliff when he realized when the last time he had said that things would be fine. They had ended up an empty promise then. Gripping her other shoulder, he turned her to face him fully, "I mean it. Sakura, you won't be alone in this. You _aren't_ alone in this."

He owed it to her to do that much. More than their history, he owed it to their new friendship. As long as he could help it, he would try and make the burden of being a single parent easier for both Sakura and, in turn, Sarada.

Sakura studied him for a moment, weighing his words, "Would you- would you come inside? I don't think I _want_ to face this alone, if I'm being honest. You- you can sit in your chair and help yourself to some tea. Just knowing I have some support there with me would be nice." She almost looked bashful at the end, as though asking for his strength of presence embarrassed her.

His brows rose at her request. He had been wanting to help Sakura in some way and here she was telling him exactly how he could. If his presence would afford her some comfort then he'd give it, "Tea sounds nice, right now actually."

Finally, her expression turned tender and grateful, "Thank you, Kakashi."

As he followed her inside and she turned down the hall, she missed the blush that bloomed across his face. She dropped the honorific following his name. Though it probably wasn't the first time, it was the first time he could say that he  _ noticed _ the familiar usage of his name falling from her lips. It was certainly the first time she addressed him in any way that made a flush spread across his cheeks. The tenderness in the way she said it had him feeling oddly warm, and he wasn't sure what to do about that.  Later as he sat on her couch, fresh tea in hand, and trying to focus on the words of his favorite Icha Icha only to re-read the same paragraph multiple times, he decided that he wasn't really sure how he felt about it either.

* * *

Sakura knocked on Sarada's shut door. Kakashi had said she might be sleeping. The ordeal today had been draining for her. So when a soft reply beckoned her to come in, Sakura wasn't entirely prepared with how to start this.

Feeling it best to start with skipping class and running off alone, she opened the door ready to be firm. However, as the light from the hall showed Sarada huddled up on her bed with an old stuffed dinosaur, Sakura lost all her ire.

Clicking the door shut behind her, she made her way to sit beside her daughter. "Sarada?" she brushed some hair from the young girl's face.

"Aren't you going to tell me how bad it was to take off like that? Or how something could've happened to me and how no one would've known where I was?" the young girl asked grumpily, her sniffles giving away how she really felt.

"Well," Sakura began as she kept combing her fingers through Sarada's hair, "from the sound of it, I don't have to." Sarada stiffened beside her, obviously not expecting that reaction. Sakura sighed, "Instead, why don't you tell me what made you run off?"

Sarada hesitated for a moment. "Didn't Kakashi-sama tell you?" her tone honest and curious.

Sakura blinked in surprise. She often forgot how talented her daughter was. She knew Kakashi was here from his chakra. "He told me from his point of view, yes," she nodded, "but I want to hear it from your side."

There was a moment of silence before Sarada rolled onto her back to look up at her Mom, "Okay Momma."

It was a few hours later before Sakura reemerged from Sarada's room. Sarada had cried some and told her all about what made her run today. She also finally asked about her father and spoke of the divorce. There were many questions and Sakura felt emotionally exhausted from the whole ordeal.

As she walked in the living room, she was surprised to see that Kakashi was still there. He was stretched out along the couch, having given up his favorite armchair. He had one leg propped up on the armrest and the one arm dangled to the ground, and his book sat over his face. Her mouth quirked upwards; he had fallen asleep.

Gingerly as she could, she picked his arm up from dangling off the side of the couch to rest across his chest. Carefully picking up his book, she saved his spot with a napkin and placed it on the coffee table beside the couch. She grabbed a throw blanket and covered him. Pausing she looked over his masked face, he appeared so peaceful. It was actually rather cute. She snickered to herself shaking her head.

He didn't have to stay this whole time. She felt bad for making him wait so long that he actually ended up falling asleep, but she was grateful. He stayed to support her and it meant more than he probably would ever realize.

She gave a wistful smile as she bent to brush her lips lightly over his forehead, "Goodnight, Kakashi-sensei."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter. It was originally in a flashback kind of style, but that seemed lazy to me.   
> I hope the new chapter gives more insight into everyone's minds.
> 
> Kakashi and Sarada interact finally! I really wanted their interaction to seem natural. Hopefully, I accomplished that.
> 
> I hope you guys liked it!
> 
> Kakashi blushing is my weakness. The dork. :)
> 
> See you next time!


	8. A Problem Without A Name

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Morning brings a new problem to light.

Sakura awoke slowly, savoring the feeling of not having to rush in the morning. She always set her alarm much earlier than need be for that reason. She hated feeling rushed. Instead, when her alarm went off at 5 o'clock in the morning, she stretched and took in the warmth of her big, comfy bed before finally getting up.

She went through her normal routine- take a nice, long, hot shower before drying her hair. She'd pick out her outfit for work while wrapped up in her robe before doing her minimalist makeup. She'd dress and then go a little down the hall to Sarada's room to wake her up at 6:30. She'd go into the kitchen and make her much needed coffee while waiting for Sarada to join her. That was her favorite part of mornings, the time they spent together while Sakura cooked Sarada breakfast and made her lunch bento. As she walked into the living room that particular morning, a large lump on the couch gave her pause.

Her mind was sadly a bit muddled in the mornings before her coffee, so it took her giving the suspicious shape the once over to notice that the weird thing lit up by the morning sun peeking through her large windows had the unmistakable silver hair of Hatake Kakashi. Feeling a bit dim for forgetting that he had stayed yesterday, she neared him ready to wake him up.

When she stood beside him she hesitated, a smile slowly formed as she took in his rumpled form. He was sprawled out along the length of the couch. His arm with the red band reading "Rokudaime" stretched above his head dangling off the armrest, and the other laid across his torso. He had removed his standard issue armor vest and placed it in her armchair, meaning he had at least halfway woken up last night and still stayed. His rumpled black, long sleeve shirt had shifted up in his sleep as he tossed and turned on the couch. His mesh undershirt beneath revealed the trail of dark silver hair that lead from his barely exposed navel and vanished beneath his waistband where a prominent "V" was visible. Sakura's face flamed. She quickly stretched the small throw blanket back over him.

His hair was messier than usual, surprising since she had been so certain he didn't ever do anything to it. His headband laid on the ground by him, resulting in some of his unruly locks drooping over his forehead in a way that was really rather adorable. He looked so peaceful, relaxed when he usually was always deceitfully on guard. She picked up his headband and folded it neatly on the coffee table before deciding to let him sleep for a little longer.

Shaking herself from her thoughts, she headed for the kitchen. Breakfast seemed like a brilliant idea for all of them. Her usual breakfast partner was already present. Why not thank him with a full traditional breakfast?

But first, coffee. To cook a full breakfast feast, she needed to feel like one of the living first.

* * *

An increasingly stronger smell drug Kakashi from his deep sleep. If it didn't have his stomach rumbling to its tempting scent, he may have been annoyed for the interruption. He had slept hard; he rolled over with a grunt, 'On something hard too,' he thought.

The sounds of cooking and hushed voices alerted him into full wakefulness. His eyes snapping open in alarm taking in his surroundings. Finding himself in a familiar space, the tension left him and he allowed himself a stretch to shake the lingering lethargy from his bones. 

As he sat up, he glanced over the back of the coach to see Sakura with an apron on standing by the stove with Sarada- on a stool, no doubt- also wearing apron and mixing something in a bowl. They were smiling and giggling to each other quietly. He couldn't help but feel relieved that Sarada was in a better mood today. He smirked as Sakura dipped her finger in Sarada's bowl before dabbing a dot of the mix onto the younger girl's nose. It spurred a new stream of giggles from the pair. One scent in particular wafted to his sharp nose and spurred him into action: _coffee_. Padding over, he smiled as Sarada spotted him behind her mom as he entered.

"Good morning, Kakashi-Sama," she smiled at him.

He couldn't help but smile back as he saw that she was in fact on a stool beside her mother and in _matching_ aprons no less. _Cute,_ his mind supplied as he chuckled lightly, "Indeed." He leaned over Sakura's shoulder eyeing what was in the pan with exaggerated suspicion.

Sakura's eyes gleamed as her eye narrowed sharply. She swatted his shoulder with the spatula, "Don't you start."

He grinned through his fake pout, "So mean to your poor, old sensei, Sakura-chan."

Sakura huffed with a hidden grin.

It was all in jest of course. Still, he couldn't help but keep up his sulky act even as Sakura handed him a coffee mug with an amused grin at his rumpled appearance. He playfully rolled his eyes. Nudging his mask down just enough, he pretended not to notice a certain little girl watching eagerly. As he sipped his coffee, he gave Sarada a wink over his cup sending her into a new wave of giggles at being caught trying to sneak a peek.

Content to sip his caffeine fix and watch, he was a bit out of his element as Sakura took to delegating some of the preparations to him. He set the table as per her directions, because really he couldn't recall ever actually setting a table in his life. He filled three glasses, two with hot green teas and one with cranberry juice for Sarada. He brought each plate to Sakura to be loaded with a traditional breakfast spread of grilled fish and rice. Sakura placed an over medium egg over two of the rices, and placed a small omelette on the smallest portion, "Sarada doesn't like her yolks runny," she explained as he had tilted his head slightly in curiosity. Sarada made a face at the mention of yolks as she carefully helped her mom to fill small bowls with miso, before telling Kakashi how to set the bowls down just so, which had him and Sakura sharing a grin over the young girl's head.

Returning each plate and bowl to its spot on the table, it wasn't until he placed the last that Kakashi realized that he had been included in this morning ritual without hesitation or question.

Following the two girls' lead, he watched as they sat at the table. Sakura watched him as he hesitated before giving a satisfied nod when he followed suit. Sarada clapped her hands together, "Itadakimasu!" Kakashi's eyes caught Sakura's, she gave him a small smile he found himself returning before the pair said their "Itadakimasu" as well.

Sitting through breakfast, he was surprised that he hadn't felt awkward or like he was intruding on family time. Instead, both girls had fully included him in all aspects of their morning routine. He had set the table - for the first time in his life, after all why would a bachelor have need to set out all the assorted silverware in their "proper" places just to eat takeout?

The answer is he wouldn't.

But he was always a quick learner and Sarada was a very kind teacher. When he had told her so, the young Uchiha had stood a little straighter in pride and the wide grin hadn't left her face for the rest of the morning. She wasn't the only one with a grin.

He found himself smiling more than he had in longer than he could remember. He had no idea that someone's cheeks could actually hurt from grinning for an extended period of time. Sarada had found his discovery hilarious as he apparently lost his ability to filter his thoughts and blurted it rather randomly out loud, while Sakura had giggled but there was a look she kept giving him after that. He wasn't entirely sure if he liked that look. It was as though she had just figured out something about him and he had to admit that it made him feel a bit shy. He never did like being under anyone's attention for long. Luckily, he focused on his conversation with Sarada and was able to miss most of Sakura's little secret knowing smiles. Most but not all.

Sarada had asked him what her mom was like when she was her age. He had said that he couldn't say because he hadn't met Sakura until she was 12 years old as her Genin Sensei. This had triggered a new set of questions and soon Sarada was laughing as Kakashi told her funny stories about Sakura and Team 7. He had tried to avoid mentioning Sasuke too much and kept to lighter funny tales, a detail Sakura had noticed and had given him a grateful smile for. She had also added in some funnier stories about Kakashi. He had to admit that he was a bit sad when Sakura said it was time for them to get Sarada off to the Academy.

While Sarada got her school stuff from her room and brushed her teeth, he helped Sakura wash the dishes really quickly.

"We should do this again," Sakura had said as she handed him a dish to dry.

"I would like that," he had grinned earning a smile in return.

The rest of the morning Kakashi felt caught in a daze.

* * *

Groaning in frustration, Kakashi snapped his book closed and let his head thunk back against the trunk of the tree he was perched in. He had to stop replaying the morning over and over again. He couldn't seem to stop thinking about it all.

As he watched Sakura and Sarada walk down the street away from him, he had been struck by why that morning had seemed so different to him. They hadn't made him feel like a guest. He had been the guest at many peoples' places before. This was different. This was more. When it had hit him, he had felt like he had the wind knocked out of him.

They had made him feel like family.

 _Family_. It was a strange term with many layers. For him, it was how he remembered feeling when his Father walked in from a mission and scooped him up in his arms. That was the feeling he had for _Father_. It was the feeling he got when Minato would always find him when he was sad or troubled and how he would sit silently beside him until Kakashi fell asleep against his arm. That too was the feeling of a _Father_. It was the feeling he got when Kushina fussed over his cuts and bruises and always tried to get him to eat more vegetables; she was the reason he loved eggplant. That feeling he could only remember having with Kushina, the feeling of what it was like to have a _mother_. It was the feeling he had now with Naruto; there were several times when some official had walked in the Hokage's office to find Naruto's blonde head locked in Kakashi's headlock. If he had to guess, he'd say that's what it would be like to have a _brother_.

But then what was this family feeling he got with Sakura and Sarada, this sense of warmth and belonging? It wasn't the same as any feeling he had ever had before, not with Naruto now either. So was "brotherly" not the right way to describe the feelings he got this morning? Or, he wondered, as the way Sakura's green eyes danced with mirth as she smiled at one of his stories flashed through his mind, was this even a family feeling at all?

Sighing, he rubbed a hand over his face. It was driving him mad.

"Heeello, my eternal rival. What's got you troubled? Your super cool vibe is somehow less vibey today," called (rather loudly) the voice of none other than Maito Gai.

Kakashi, having jumped at the sudden booming voice from so close, shot his friend a pointed look, "Volume, Gai. What have we said about volume?"

"A memory quiz?" He flashed a blinding smile, "Stimulating the mind through pop quizzing. A very youthful exercise! I expect nothing less from my rival." Gai tapped his chin for a moment, "You said that I must use my inside voice when in the Hokage Tower so as not to cause a distraction for those working." He gave a thumbs up upon repeating Kakashi's exact wording.

Kakashi could only shake his head as his obvious hint had completely flown over his friend's bowl-cut head. Instead, his mind drifted back to his previous train of thought causing his brows to furrow as he tried to work it all out in his head.

Seeing that Kakashi was truly troubled by something, Gai sat down as well. A bit of time passed in silence between the two until Gai began to speak, "I once met a monk who taught me many secrets to youthfulness. I trained with him for 6 months during a mission. During that time, I would ask him to tell me the secret to his training and how he stayed so youthful at such an advanced age. He was 103 and yet he beat me every match without getting a scratch. When I would ask, he would tell me that I had to earn such secrets. With each lesson he taught me, I would always ask for the greatest secret to youthfulness."

Kakashi, who had been listening to his friend's story, asked, "Did he ever tell you?"

"No, he passed away quietly in his sleep, ending my mission early and taking the greatest secret with him," Gai answered matter-of-factly causing Kakashi to nearly fall over in irritation at such an ending. "But!" Gai grinned, "I have found that when something is troubling me and making me feel like less than my youthful self, talking about it helps to lighten the burden."

Kakashi blinked at his green friend, "Gai, that is surprisingly good advice."

He gave a thumbs up, "I am full of surprises, Kakashi."

Kakashi chuckled and shook his head, "Apparently." Sitting up from his recline against the tree trunk, he sighed running a hand through his hair, "The problem is that I am not even sure what the problem is."

Gai nodded sagely, "I think I know what's going on here."

Kakashi merely blinked again. Was it that obvious that Sakura was the focus of his troubles?

"Mhm," Gai flashed a blinding grin again, "The answer is simple, Kakashi."

Blink. "It is?"

"Really, Kakashi, I am amazed you haven't thought of it yourself. Perhaps all that time in Hokage Tower has dulled your usually sharp mind and sullied your intellectual genius," Gai tapped his chin in thought.

Kakashi's brow twitched in annoyance.

"What you have to do is-" Gai said with suspense.

Kakashi waited for his friend's bit of wisdom. Anything to help him figure all of this out.

"-figure out the problem and then fix it," he answered finally with a dramatic thumbs up and a blinding flash of teeth.

Kakashi could mentally see the sweat drop that appeared on his own forehead at Gai's very Gai-like response. "Gee. Thanks. I hadn't thought of that," he sighed before coughing slightly as Gai smacked him on the back effectively knocking the wind out of him unexpectedly.

"No worries, my rival and friend. I'm glad I could help. Now I must be off. There are others to help and laps to run," with a final heroic pose, Gai was gone in a flash of green.

Kakashi sat for a moment before sighing and sitting back into his recline against the tree trunk. "So much for words of wisdom," he muttered as he placed his book over his face in preparation for a nap. At least if he was sleeping, he could get a break from his thoughts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I freaking love Gai.
> 
> I hope you guys liked the chappie!


	9. Stupid Brain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Where Sakura is absolutely over her train of thoughts today.

Sakura hummed to herself as she headed back to her floor and her goal - her office. She had spent all day working in the lab on some samples of pathogens sent over from Suna. After a week of laboring away, her team had finally made a breakthrough. The ripple of excitement that filled the research team had made the hard week more than worth it.

Though she loved that aspect of her work, it was not the cause of her chipper attitude. Truth be told, she wasn't really sure what was behind it. She just felt lighter lately somehow.

The new Children's wing of the hospital was going great. Though she had never considered herself a public speaker, the opening ceremony required it of her. If the teary eyes of Naruto, the almost smile of Sai, and the proud glint in Kakashi's eyes was anything to go by, she had managed to pull it off. Even that, was not the reason for her lifted mood as of late. She certainly had not been getting more sleep than usual, so what then?

Her mind flickered to an image of Kakashi sitting across the table from her and Sarada at breakfast last week, and she smiled. She could count on one hand the amount of times that she had witnessed Kakashi seemingly out of his element. Yet, the way his eyes had sought hers before he did anything, as though he was checking that his actions were right, was oddly endearing. It put him in so different a light than the image she had had of him as a young genin that she nearly laughed aloud. He had seemed so mysterious and all powerful back then.

And, while he was mysterious in many ways still and he was likely more powerful now than he had been when she was a child herself, he seemed more human to her now than he ever had before. Even through all of Team Kakashi days and the many years that followed, Kakashi had always set slightly higher and slightly removed from the rest in her mind. While she still held a deep respect for him for his ability and accomplishments, through the past few months that pedestal he had sat on had evened out with the rest of those she held dear. _No_ , she thought, _not the rest._ After all, she couldn't say she had the same feeling about him as she did Naruto or even Sai.

She wondered briefly what he was up to. She had been rushing to work after dropping off Sarada for the past few days, and had not been able to make their morning walks and breakfast dates.

 _Not dates_ , she flushed. It wasn't like that at all. She shook her head wondering why that had been the word her mind jumped to.

Habits? Routine? She wondered what exactly to call the rhythm they had seemed to naturally fall into over the last several months. She wondered if missing his presence the last few days was normal. Surely a break in such a habitual routine would cause such a feeling?

A flash of an exposed abdomen popped into her head. She ducked into her office, hands on her heated cheeks. Why on earth did her mind drag up that embarrassing moment? She nearly tripped as a thought came to her, _Do I have a crush on Kakashi?_ She wanted to scoff but couldn't. Why would her mind be supplying her with images of toned stretches of skin under mesh and flashes of his smile other than a crush?

She groaned, leaning against her closed door. She supposed that it was normal to develop a crush on a teacher at some point. Though he had only been her teacher for under a year... and she was no where near the age to get caught up in silly school-girl crushes... and they had over a decade of camaraderie beneath them.

Hanging her coat in her office, she prepared to head out to lunch when a knock sounded at her door promptly pulling her from her self-analyzing reflections, "Come in!"

"Sakura-taichu,, there is a visitor for you at the front desk."

"A visitor?" Sakura asked curiously as she grabbed her bag, "Did you catch a name?"

"G-gomen, Sakura-taichu,, I didn't think to ask when they paged from downstairs," Kimiko, a young nurse, looked visibly nervous. She was a new hire and very timid in nature.

Sakura smiled as she patted the girl's arm, "Don't worry, Kimiko-san. I'm headed that way anyways. Next time be sure to catch a name in case it is urgent."

"H-hai, Sakura-taichu. Thank you, Sakura-taichu," the girl bowed several times before scurrying back to the nurse's station.

Sakura merely shook her head in amusement, as she donned her white lab coat once again. A lot of the new hires were timid, but poor Kimiko reminded her of a young Hinata.

Stepping out of the elevator, she blinked at the small crowd of hospital staff and civilians that had gathered around the front desk. 'What in Kami-sama's name?' The crowd was blocking the way for people to check-in and use the front desk and also blocking her exit. Her brow twitched, a clear signal that she was dangerously close to unleashing her legendary temper.

Her voice made the crowd jump as she called for everyone's attention, "You all better be sick or visiting a family member. This is not a place to loiter. Clear out! And my staff members better get back to work!" At her barking orders, civilians and staff scrambled off.

Marching up to the desk through the thinning crowd, she glared at the rightfully nervous receptionists behind the desk causing them to sink into their seats cowering. Her brow ticked again, surely she wasn't that frightening? Blowing out a breath of annoyance, she tried to soothe her irritation as she asked, "I had a visitor?"

A throat cleared, "That would be me."

Sakura whirled around to the relief of the receptionists. "Kakashi-sensei!?" she gaped bewildered.

When he only gave a slight eye-crinkle of a smile, she snapped to, immediately looking for injuries, "Where are you hurt? Was it another competition between you and Gai?" Her glowing hands scanned his chest, "You have to take better care of yourself."

At his continued silence and her finding nothing wrong, she glanced up only to freeze. His hand rested on his neck as though he had been rubbing it and he had a soft look to his eye as he peered down at her.

Her cheeks heated. When had his face gotten so close?

Clearing his throat, he rubbed his neck before letting it fall to her shoulder, "Gomen, Sakura. I'm not hurt."

"Oh," her face heated more as the glowing of her hands sputtered out though they remained frozen in place on his chest.

He looked almost sheepish then, "I am not pulling you from something, am I? I didn't mean for them to page you down. I was just trying to find out when you normally took your break."

She blinked at him owlishly. She could feel the warmth of his chest seeping through his black shirt as he had foregone wearing his standard issue vest. The image of what his exposed skin looked like just a bit lower than her hands were now popped into her mind. With a near squeak, she yanked her hands away as though they were on fire. _Stupid traitorous brain._

He stammered slightly, "I, uh, It's been a few days since I last saw you," his reason for being there suddenly had him feeling embarrassed, "I wanted to see if you wanted to grab lunch for your break. Get away from the hospital for a moment?" He let his hand move from her shoulder to be shoved into his pockets, "If you're busy though, I understand." To his amazement, his face felt warm under his mask. Why? How many times now had they gone out to eat? How many times had he waited for her outside of the hospital? He studied her flushed face for answers to his questions as he peered down at her.

Sakura blinked as he spoke tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, "O-oh, of course. I was just headed out to lunch."

Green eyes flicked back up to his. He flashed a trademark smile as he made to turn to the door, "Shall we?"

"H-hai," pink locks bobbed as she nodded and hurried after him.

Behind the pair, two nurses shared a knowing grin as the Copy Nin and the Head Medic stepped outside.

* * *

Sakura couldn't help but fidget as they walked. What was normally an easy silence between them seemed somehow loaded today. She couldn't put her finger on what had changed or what could be the reason behind the tension. Other than her own discovery that she apparently found Kakashi attractive, she mused to herself. It wasn't just her though. She watched Kakashi's back as he walked just slightly ahead of her leading to their destination.

He had stammered earlier when asking her to lunch. She had only ever witnessed the man seem flustered over those books of his, so what had him acting different then? Was it possible he knew about her shift in thoughts about him? She had only just figured it out herself, but he was exceptionally perceptive.

No, she shook her head, Kakashi was many things, but I a mind reader wasn't one of them. Perhaps he picked up on her on tension and just didn't know how to act about it, she thought. This was far more likely. After all, one didn't become known as the "Elusive" Copy Ninja by excelling in being a social butterfly. He probably was picking up on her vibe being off and was unsure what to really do with it. She nodded to herself, satisfied by her conclusion. _It was just Kakashi_ , she told herself.

"How is Sarada doing?" His voice jarred her from her thoughts and had her jumping. Kakashi lifted a brow at her, "Are you alright?"

"H-hai," she glanced away cringing as she stuttered. "I'm fine. It's just been a busy few days." She blushed under his gaze as his eyes searched her face for a moment, "And Sarada is doing well." She mentally berated herself for stuttering. She had to stop this or she was going to make it awkward between them. _It was just Kakashi_ , she repeated her mantra to herself.

At this, he seemed to relax and an easy smile appeared on his face, "I'm glad. Ah, we're here."

She blinked as she looked up at the sign: Momoko. She didn't recognize the name but she had seen it in passing many times. She smiled in thanks as Kakashi opened the door for her. Inside was a traditionally styled place, a small open seating area was at the front and what looked like traditionally closed off tea rooms at the back.

Kakashi stepped up to the podium where the host, an elderly woman dressed in traditional kimono smiled warmly at him, "Kakashi-kun, it is good to see you. It has been a while since you stopped by."

"Gomen, Chie-san," he rubbed his neck sheepishly.

The elderly woman tsked, bringing out a hand fan from seemingly nowhere to whack Kakashi atop his head, "How many times have I told you to call me, Baasan!"

Sakura blinked at the tiny woman, surprised by her spitfire attitude hidden in such a small demure and dressed package... and maybe just a tad amused at the properly chastised look Kakashi had gotten.

"Oh! Kakashi-kun, you brought a girl!" It was humorous how easily he was shoved out of the tiny woman's way as she moved to inspect Sakura, "Tell me child, what is your name?"

Sakura flushed under the attention, "Uchiha Sakura." She caught Kakashi's gaze over the woman fussing over her only to glare at his obvious enjoyment of it.

Chie turned to face Kakashi, "She is very beautiful," Smacking his arm with her fan, "Don't mess it up!" She grabbed two menus from the podium, "Would you like your usual seat or a private room, hm?" There was a glimmer in the elder woman's eye that had Sakura's cheeks heating.

Kakashi stammered rubbing his neck, "The, uh, the usual is fine."

"The usual, pah! Clueless child," Chie clucked her tongue disappointed at his answer, "Come along, there is a lovely tea room in the back." She sent Sakura a wink as she drug Kakashi by his arm, "Nice and _private_."

"N-nani? Chie-baasan, I think you've got the wrong idea-"

"You, boy, are _hopeless_ ," she tutted as she practically shoved Kakashi into the room before turning to Sakura with a sweet smile, "Here you are, dearie. Let me know if he gives you any trouble."

Sakura caught Kakashi's gaze, her eyes glinting with mischief, "Oh, I will most definitely do that." Sakura tried to stifle down a giggle at the look of utter betrayal Kakashi took on. She bowed, "Thank you, Chie-san."

"Please, dearie, called me Baasan," with another look of warning to Kakashi she left shutting the door behind her.

Sakura turned to face Kakashi with a clearly amused smile. She took in his slumped form, his head resting on his palm. She had never seen him look so flustered, "Kakashi-kun, hm?"

He sent her a glare.

Sakura took a seat on one of the plush chairs around the traditional table. "Don't be embarrassed," she laughed, "I think it was rather cute."

"I am wanted in ten countries. I am not cute," he muttered.

Sakura giggled, "Oh yes, so fearsome. Big, big scary. Definitely not the type to be pushed around by tiny Grandmas."

"I _am_ scary. I've been in Bingo books since I was 9," Kakashi huffed, "she is deceitfully strong," he insisted earning another giggle from the pinkette across from him. Still seeing her smile had his own mouth quirking up. He was about to speak when a waitress entered.

After they ordered their tea, Sakura watched as he kept fidgeting.

Just when she was about to tell him to spit it out, he began, "I've known her for most of my life. I been coming here since I was very young. Well, not _here_ here, because you know the building is new, but here." He hesitated for a moment glancing to see that he had her rapt attention before averting his gaze. "My father and mother used to come here. Then it was my father and I, and finally just me. Though I did stop for a long time after he died." He trailed off as he looked around in thought.

It wasn't lost on her the significance of what he just shared was. Kakashi had never been so open about his childhood. Until recently, she had not even heard him speak much of his early ninja years. She knew the subject of his childhood and his father was difficult for him.

Sure, over the past few months he had shared little tidbits about himself. Tiny comments she had hoarded greedily as though they were bits of gold. It had always been trivial things: His preference to sake over beer. His dislike of cats rooted from a mildly traumatic encounter as a small child, _"Never trust cute, little, old, cat-ladies when they tell you their cats are friendly. They never are friendly."_ The fact that he was well-read, shockingly so really, considering the fact that she had only ever seen him with Icha Icha in hand; yet, he had admitted to often times having a different book disguised as Icha Icha because _"The reactions never really get old."_ Yes, she had learned quite a bit about Kakashi over the past few months, but never anything about his personal history. Never anything like this.

Sakura released a breath, smiling gently as the sound had him looking back to her. She reached across the table to his fidgeting hands and gave one a squeeze, "It is a lovely place. Thank you for bringing me here, Kakashi-sensei." She tensed, unsure how he'd react to her entirely unnecessary touch, nearly holding her breath as she found herself almost waiting for him to bolt or withdraw as he would've in the past.

He blinked at her hand over his owlishly before meeting her hesitant gaze. Studying her for a minute, she saw him swallow before his hand turned over to grasp hers, "Sakura, I haven't been your team leader for years. And I was barely your sensei at all. Tsunade deserves that title, not me."

She frowned about to retort to his self-depreciating comment, when he pressed on, "I'd like to think we've become something closer to friends recently, and well, my friends just call me Kakashi. I think we can drop the honorifics, ne?"

Surprised at his reaction almost as much as his words, she flushed. His gaze fell to her mouth as she wet her lips before speaking, "Hai, Kakashi." As he released her hand to grab the menu, she tried to ignore how her hand tingled long after and how his knuckles seemed a bit white as he clutched the menu tightly.

After the food was ordered, the tension between them melted away and they easily slipped back into their usual routine of easy chatter and jokes. Once the food was brought in, Sakura hungrily dug in. A pleased moan escaping as the first bite hit her tongue, "Kami-sama, this is good tempura."

"Apparently," the humor evident in his voice. His unusually crisper than usual voice, somehow seemed less muffled.

Sakura glanced quickly up only to squint her eyes suspiciously. His mask was firmly in place, though he had obviously eaten as half his plate was already gone. She glared at his cheeky grin before huffing and turning back to her food earning a chuckle of amusement.

"Something wrong Sakura?" his unmuffled voice asked once again, the natural timbre enhanced.

The difference sent an odd shiver through her. _It's just Kakashi,_ she reminded herself. She knew he was lowering his mask to eat and talking when it was down. No doubt enjoying teasing her with something she had always been curious about.

Refusing to glance up, she grumbled, "You can be a real brat, you know that?"

He merely chuckled, "Why Sakura, I don't know what you're talking about."

Glancing up she caught him lowering his hand just as he raised the mask once again, his plate now empty. Her eyes narrowed, "Mhm, whatever you say."

He only smiled as she grumbled about 'teases' and promises to get under his mask one of these days.

* * *

She had enjoyed every bite of her meal, even the tea was exceptional. It had been a lunch full of surprises. It was entertaining to see Chie treat Kakashi like a child. She was pleasantly surprised when he had decided to share with her the importance of the place to him and his family. She was not so surprised with his teasing, as this was normal between them now. However, some of her reactions to him today had been a bit surprising in and of themselves.

When Kakashi had paid for the whole thing as though it was the most normal thing in the world, Sakura found herself whispering 'kai' just in case this was some genjutsu of some sort. She was practically immune to genjutsu now days, but with Kakashi, you could never be sure.

His smile and explanation of _"Is it really that odd? I did ask you to lunch after all?"_ had her second guessing her initial reaction, until she caught Chie's overly pleased expression.

She had been unable to meet his gaze afterwards without feeling her face heat up and a burst of fluttering to take off in her belly. _Stupid brain,_ she internally grumbled to herself. Still, the way he had said it made her wonder if she was just blowing things out of proportion. Maybe this was just another faucet to the new post-war Kakashi and she was only just now seeing it? _It's just Kakashi,_ she reminded herself for seemingly the 100th time this day.

She eyed him as they walked down the street. Hm, she'd have to asked Naruto if he'd ever been bought lunch. After all, he had paid for several things for her over the course of their renewed... what? Camaraderie? No. What was this? _"My friends just call me Kakashi,"_ he had said. She smiled at that.

A throat cleared and she realized they had stopped walking. "Well," he said awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck, "We're here."

"Hm?" she blinked and looked around. _'Oh, right. The hospital,'_ her eyes focused back on his, _'he walked me back?'_ She watched as his hands were shoved back in his pockets.

His awkwardness melted away and his gaze turned warmer, "I hope I didn't keep you out too long."

"Oh!" she glanced at her watched, "No, we are actually right on time." Bewildered that he was on time for anything, she looked at him with raised brows. Maybe he was ill?

Shaking herself from her thoughts, she settled on a smile of her own, "Thank you for taking me to lunch." She glanced down feeling bashful suddenly. Why was her heart racing like this? Maybe she was the one who was sick? _It's just Kakashi,_ she mentally scolded herself.

She saw his feet take a step closer. Looking up to him in question, he rose a hand towards her slowly. His brows were bunched together and he appeared to be mentally battling with something. His fingers hesitated in front of her as he eyes flicked to meet hers.

She froze under their intensity, before let his fingers brush a loose strand of hair behind her ear. She searched his dark grey orbs, though for what she wasn't certain.

In return, he searched hers before he broke the gaze. His hand dropped back to his side as he turned to leave, "See you, Sakura." And then he was gone, leaving only a puff of smoke and a confused medic.

She let out a whoosh of air, unaware she had apparently been holding it. _It's just Kakashi._ She told herself again, as her mind caught up with the last few minutes. Her face heated as she touched the cheek his fingers had brushed as he had carefully tucked her hair away.

Her heart sputtered, "Crap."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love these two clueless dorks.  
> *sigh*


	10. Of Butterflies and Bats and Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Girl's day leads to talk.  
> Ino, Hinata, and Sakura begin to focus on a mental health program for adult age shinobi.  
> Sakura gets her first day off in a long while and runs into Kakashi while taking Sarada out to the training fields.

Ino and Hinata shared a look as Sakura sighed into her tea for what was likely the hundredth time since they had met up that morning. The three friends had planned to get together and catch up since all of their collective kids were at a fellow classmate's birthday party that day. They rarely ever had free time at all and to have it at the same time was nearly unheard of. Though TenTen was missing, to complete the quartet, they had agreed that it was a rarity worth celebrating. So it was decided -mostly by Ino because the Hokage estate had the best view- that they'd have lunch at Hinata's home.

After yet another sigh came from Sakura, Ino finally had enough, "Alright, Billboard-brow, you've been sighing into your tea for the past 30 minutes."

Sakura looked up from her cup obviously startled from her thoughts, "What?"

Upon getting dubious stares from her friends, she ran a hand through her hair, "Gomen, I didn't mean to be rude or anything. I'm enjoying being here with you two. It's just, I guess I've got a lot on my mind."

Ino huffed leaning back into her seat, but her expression was full of concern behind her facade of false annoyance.

"Don't apologize. We understand, really," Hinata spoke up in her soft voice, "If there is anything you need, please, let me or Naruto know. You and Sarada are like family to us."

Sakura gave one of Hinata's hands a gentle squeeze, "Thank you. You and Naruto are like family to us as well."

Hinata smiled shyly in return.

"I have been worried about you and Sarada," Ino admitted as she tapped her nails on her cup. "Inojin told me about Sarada not showing up for class last week. I heard from several people, who came in the flower shop, that Kakashi-sama found her in that creepy, old part of the Uchiha compound. Is that true?"

Sakura slouched into her seat with a deep sigh. She looked out the window by Hinata's dining table and gave a nod, "Hai. I was in surgery that day and didn't hear about it until I got off, but Kakashi was waiting for me and told me what happened."

"K-kami-sama," Hinata gasped.

Ino looked appalled, "That's so... depressing. What on earth made her want to go in _there_?"

Sakura shrugged slightly, rubbing her forehead with her hand as though fighting off a headache, "I know. I hate that place. It gives me the creeps to be honest." She sighed, "The only thing I can figure is that she was trying to feel closer to Sasuke or maybe that she went looking for answers in there. She heard some pretty nasty things from some parents at the school that morning."

Fists clenched and ready to go, Ino snarled, "Who said what?!"

Sakura shrugged dejectedly, "I don't know who, but I know the what." The fleeting grimace that passed her face had her friends sharing another worried glance between them. "They may have mentioned how he tried to kill Naruto and me during his time with Orochimaru, the Akatsuki, and then Taka," she admitted reluctantly, the very mention bringing back memories she'd rather keep in the past.

Hinata shook her head, "What kind of people would say such things in front of a child?"

"If I find out, I'm going to give them a piece of my mind," Ino growled.

Sakura nodded eyes flashing before she smirked, "You'd have to get in line. Kakashi was pretty pissed about it too."

Ino and Hinata shared a look. Grinning slightly at the mention of a cause for certain rumors, Ino leaned towards Sakura, "Kakashi? When did you drop the honorific, hm? You know that's the second or so time you've mentioned him. What's going on with _that_?"

Hinata flushed at Ino's obviously scandalous implication, "I-Ino."

Sakura scoffed, though her cheeks pinkened, "You are such a Gossip Queen. Nothing is going on." She rolled her eyes, "Nothing like what you mean anyway."

Ino hummed unconvinced, "Well, I've heard that you've been seen together taking walks and grabbing coffee and breakfasts and lunches. Together. Alone. Laughing and looking cozy."

Sakura looked back to her friends to see them both sitting practically on the edge of their seats waiting for her response. She laughed lightly, "Hinata, not you too."

"W-well, that is what people are saying," Hinata admitted with a blush but her small smile gave her away, she was just as curious to hear as Ino was.

"You have been hanging around Ino too much," she laughed. With a sigh, Sakura gave in, "Alright. I'll tell you, but just so you two won't keep looking at me like that." Hinata and Ino giggled. "Yes, all of that is true," two gasps filled the air, "well, except the 'cozy' part cause I'm pretty sure that was intended as more than just being comfortable around each other. But, it is all completely non-scandalous."

"Hm?" Ino tapped her chin, "That's not what I heard. I heard you were seen in his arms as he picked you up for a lunch date from the hospital."

Scoffing, "I was not 'in his arms'. I mean, I was checking him for injury, so I guess we were kind of close, but-," Sakura defended, her face heated and her jaw snapped shut.

"W-well," Hinata spoke up, "I did hear that he went inside the hospital to pick you up."

Running a hand over her face, Sakura groaned, "Yes, he did come in to get me."

"Willingly?!" Ino exclaimed.

"Yes!" Sakura ground out, "But for kami's sake, it was just for a normal lunch!"

Ino let out a long sigh, "Well, that's a bit disappointing."

"Ino!" Sakura exclaimed.

Hinata hid a giggle behind her hand.

Sakura shook her head, "I swear you two are impossible. For Kami's sake, this is _Hatake Kakashi_ we are talking about. I've seen rocks that are more socially interested than this man." Okay so that was a bit of an over exaggeration, well, more of a falsehood entirely. Kakashi cared about what was going on in other people's lives; he was just too reserved to openly inquire all of the time. That was another tid bit of his personality she had uncovered during their time hanging out together recently. But that he generally didn't give a damn was what was generally believed by most, so she'd play on that misconception now.

"Oooh, so he is a man now and not just a sensei, hmm?" Ino waggled her brows playfully sending Hinata into more giggles.

Sakura face-palmed, "I cannot win in this conversation. Pig, I'm pretty sure he has always been a man. ..." she paused for a moment, "at least... I'm pretty sure he has always been a man. I guess it is technically possible for him to have been born a woman. I mean, it's not like he has ever been uncovered during any medical exams or healing... but surely someone would've found it important to tell his medic such information. Tsunade-sama surely would have shared it if nothing el-"

**"Sakura!"**

She jumped startled, "Kami-sama, woman!" A hand pressed to her chest, she glared at an amused Ino, " _What!?_ "

"You were rambling, just a bit," Hinata stated before nearly snickering into her tea.

Sakura smiled at Hinata's horrible attempt to appear collected when she clearly was on the verge of laughing. She smiled sheepishly, "Gomen. But, as I was saying, I'm pretty certain he has always been a man, but that still doesn't change the fact that he is also my sensei."

" _Was_ your sensei," Hinata stated matter-of-factly earning a wide, pleased grin from Ino and a look of betrayal from Sakura.

"Whose side are you on?" Sakura pouted.

"Naruto-kun's," she answered without missing a beat.

"Cheeky," Sakura huffed. The girls laughed.

After a moment of pause after they settled down, Ino hummed in thought, "So, what you just expect me to believe that the reclusive Hatake Kakashi has suddenly decided that making friends is a fantastic idea?"

"Basically," Sakura shrugged earning a scoff from the blonde.

Hinata cleared her throat looking completely serious, "I believe it is possible. He did the same thing when he took Naruto-kun under his tutelage for Hokage."

Ino waved it off, "That's entirely different. He did that to train him for taking over the position."

"Yes, at first," Hinata nodded, "However, Naruto-kun and Kakashi-sama ended up becoming very close. Naruto once admitted that Kakashi felt more like an older brother to him now. They act as such as well. I've had to witness them get caught roughhousing in the Hokage Office by the council members several times," she giggled a bit at that.

Something as playful as roughhousing was not something she could envision Kakashi ever taking part in. He was always professional, friendly, yes, but playful? Sakura let out a puff of air in astonishment, "Wow, I had no idea." Had he really changed that much after the war?

"Really," Ino nodded. "So, why now?" she asked curiously glancing to Sakura.

"I'm not sure," Sakura shrugged still a bit floored by Hinata's words, "I guess maybe because he felt bad about not knowing what was going on in my life."

Ino scoffed, "Well, that's silly. Nobody knew you and Sasuke weren't working out. Sure, nobody understood exactly _how_ it could be working out, but you never let on that it was anything less."

"I know," Sakura nodded, "and I told him that, but I think it's more than that."

"What do you mean?" asked Hinata.

Sakura's brows bunched as her expression twisted to show her frustration, "I don't know for sure. I have some theories, but-"

"Well, come on tell us one," Ino interrupted impatiently.

"I think the war changed him. I mean really changed him. I don't know how to explain it, but I think it made him want different things from life. I think Kakashi has forgotten what's it's like to be truly happy, and he is trying to now," Sakura spoke finally. It was only part of her theory behind what was going on with Kakashi, but it was the easiest to explain.

Ino looked confused, "Forgotten how to be happy? Why would you think a thing like that? He always seemed dull in the personality department to me, but I wouldn't say he looked unhappy."

Hinata, however, had leaned forward in interest, "I think you might be onto something, Sakura."

Sakura perked at this, "You think so?"

"Well, besides you, Sakura," Ino thought aloud, "Hinata here and Naruto have been around him the most. If anyone could pick up something about him, it would be one of you," Ino added sagely.

Hinata nodded, "Y-yes, well, I may have noticed something." She fidgeted shyly, "I noticed that when he was here with Naruto-kun and I and the children, he seemed a bit, w-well..."

"What is it?" Sakura pleaded.

"It's just that, he got this look sometimes. It's, well, it's hard to explain. It's like he was taking in how we acted around each other, like," she paused as though thinking, "as though he was in awe almost and curious at the same time. It was as though he was seeing it all for the first time. A-and sometimes, he looked a bit sad almost. It reminded me of Sai in a way."

Sakura had sat back with a sad smile staring into her cup. While Ino just looked confused, "Seeing what for the first time? I don't get it. Sakura, why do you look so sad?"

"I was right," Sakura sighed solemnly.

Hinata nodded also looking a bit down.

"Would somebody explain what is going on?" Ino exclaimed.

"He doesn't remember what it's like to have people close to him, Ino. People who are like family," Sakura explained.

The blonde promptly snapped her mouth closed and slouched, "Wow. That is depressing."

Sakura hummed in agreement, "I noticed the same thing the other day. I didn't tell you, but he did spend the night that day that Sarada ran off." She shot a quick glare to Ino, who had shot up with a lecherous grin, "He offered to stay while I spoke with her, for support," she emphasized, "and ended up falling asleep on my couch. The following morning you should've seen him when I had him help with getting things ready for breakfast. He looked like a skittish boy and a haunted man all at once."

"Naruto-kun told me a bit about Kakashi-sama's past. It is possible that he pushed memories like that away in order to protect himself from the pain of loss," Hinata added.

Ino let out a breath, "I heard stories from my father about what happened with Kakashi's father and at such a young age. It really is tragic."

"Then when the Fourth and Naruto-kun's mother was lost," Hinata mentioned another part that she had learned.

Ino winced, "Losing your Sensei is awful, but to lose him the way he did too."

Sakura frowned sadly. But Hinata shook her head, "No, it's more than that."

Sakura looked curious, "What do you mean?"

"Hm? Oh, I forgot that it wasn't something you may know," Hinata apologized before explaining, "Kakashi-sama was adopted by Namikaze Minato and Lady Kushina after his father..." Her voice trailed off.

Sakura blinked.

"What? No way!" Ino exclaimed, "But then the Kyuubi attacked and they- _oh_ ," she slumped.

"Yeah," Sakura sighed, "oh."

"That's awful," Ino frowned.

"I think all of this has something to do with why he has been hanging around me all of a sudden," Sakura spoke after a long moment of silence between them. She explained, "Think about it. The war threw a lot of Kakashi's past in his face. His teammate turning up alive and on the bad side, until dying saving us all in the end. Then his old sensei and, apparently, adoptive father, the Fourth is reincarnated only to be gone again just as quickly. Can you imagine?"

Hinata looked crestfallen.

Ino rubbed her arms as though to comfort herself.

"I'm sure that all of that had to make him change in some way. I mean, look at him and Naruto," Sakura added.

Hinata gave a nod as she smiled softly, "They have become close."

"Like brothers, you said, right?" Ino asked.

Hinata nodded again.

"Right, and now, he is reaching out to me," Sakura said.

"But why?" Ino asked. "Naruto makes sense. They practically are brothers and would have been raised that way if the Fourth had lived. But why you?"

Sakura shrugged, "What's the closest thing to family we all have? Even before friends."

"Teammates," Hinata and Ino spoke at the same time.

Sakura nodded, "Exactly."

Ino thought for a moment, "Now that you mention it, your team always did have some distance between you guys. And I don't mean physically," she added in regards to Sasuke leaving and being far away.

"It's like he used to keep us at arm's length," Sakura admitted. "To be honest, if we learned anything about him, it was during the war or from others, he never told us about his life." She tapped her fingers on the table, "But now, I've learned more about him from his own mouth in the past, what four, almost five months than I have in all the years I've known him." She smiled to herself, "He actually has a pretty funny sense of humor."

Ino snorted, "To be friends with a guy like Gai, he'd have to."

They laughed because, really, it was true.

"So what are you going to do?" Ino asked.

"What do you mean?" Sakura asked in confusion.

"About all of this with Kakashi-sama," Ino rolled her eyes as if to say 'duh'.

Sakura shrugged, "I'm not sure what I can do about it."

Hinata cleared her throat softly earning the attention of the other two, "I have an idea." She flushed when two pairs of eyes fixed on her curiously. "W-well, I know that he was there to give you support after Sasuke, but, maybe, he is the one who needs your support more."

Sakura thought for a moment before smiling, "Hinata, you're a genius."

Hinata flushed under the praise.

"Well, one thing is for certain," Ino smirked, "If you're gonna be around him, can you finally find out what's under that damned mask!"

"Tch, as if I'd tell you, Ino-pig," Sakura scoffed earning a rude gesture from Ino before they erupted into giggles.

There was a moment of comfortable silence as the girls each were consumed by their thoughts.

"Soo~ did he _pay_ for lunch?"

"Ino!" Sakura growled out to a chorus of giggling.

* * *

When they were hanging out, Ino mentioned to Sakura that now would be the perfect time to start on the Mental Wellness program that the pair had been talking about expanding for years. The pair had already established the widely successful Children's Mental Wellness program that then grew over the years into the now full Children's Hospital wing. However, they had always talked about how it was not just the children that were the victims of the wars and the shinobi lifestyle. The adults suffered as well.

Unlike in children, it was a stigma for these adult shinobi to show what was perceived by many as weakness. It was something that could be exploited and, therefore, was avoided. Now though, more than ever, with the Peace Time having lasted for so many years now, it was a good time to address the issue. They all had been effected, but many like Sasuke, Sai, and even Kakashi had been hit especially hard. There were countless others that needed help or a safe place to try to heal the unseen hurts of their life styles.

Ino, Hinata, and Sakura had spent the rest of their time together drawing up the official proposal to hand in to Naruto. The following morning the proposal was placed on Naruto's desk and, shockingly, by lunch time, it had been unanimously approved by the council... though she was certain that Tsunade might have had some influence over persuading her fellow council members. While Ino and Sakura were overjoyed, it tripled the already overwhelming work loads.

With the start of yet another huge project, even more sleepless nights was something she had expected. Rushing in the mornings to get to work after rushing Sarada to school, she also expected. The drop in her stomach when she ran by Kakashi waiting for her on the bridge with a rushed explanation was not something she expected, but she didn't have time to put thought into the feeling. Nor the feeling that followed when she had to turn away his invite to lunch later the same day.

It took coming home after a few days of crazy rushing and work-filled days and finding Sarada making her own bento for lunch the next day for Sakura to finally realize that she needed to delegate some duties. She approached Hinata, after a discussion with Ino, and it was decided that Hinata would take over the management of the Children's Mental Wellness program. She already was volunteering there nearly all the time, and her soft voice and manners had the children taking to her instantly. Hinata was beyond pleased when Sakura offered her the position officially.

Shizune took over some of Sakura's duties as Head of the Hospital allowing her to focus more fully on the preparations for the Leaf Wellness Center, as it was being called. The process was reaching whirlwind status as last minute hiring and organizing was being crammed into her already busy work load. Luckily, there would be no need to build, as Tsunade had built into the main hospital's design after the Pain attack a full wing that was currently only being used as overflow during flu seasons. This saved months of time, but at the same time, crammed all the prep into a few short weeks.

After that first day that she had passed by Kakashi on the bridge and couldn't make lunch, she had not seen him. Her lunch had also been taken hostage that day, so she sent him a messenger with a note sending her apologies and cursing inept board members for making her job harder. She was even more miffed about her hijacked lunch because then she would be forced to eat cafeteria food. 'Bleh' just did not cover it.

So, when she had walked into her office at lunch time to grab her wallet only to see a take-out bag containing the heavenly tempura from Momoko's along with a little note featuring Kakashi's little smiling scarecrow kanji, she could honestly say that if he had been there she would've kissed him. A joking thought that instantly floored her because of flock of butterflies in her belly at the thought. That first bite of tempura was worth the troubling thoughts.

As each subsequent day brought another take-out lunch and another smiling scarecrow in chicken-scratch handwriting, she decided that she really needed to figure out what was going on with her feelings and thoughts. She wasn't so out of touch with her emotions to not know what those little rushes were that she had been getting around him lately. She knew well enough what physical attraction was, and while she was surprised to discover that she was apparently physically attracted to her eccentric ex-team-leader, in many ways, she really wasn't _that_ surprised.

Any woman, who was into men and had at least one functioning eye, could see quite clearly that Hatake Kakashi was physically attractive. Ino had often called him her "Sexy-sensei", and although it was always used to get a rise out of Sakura, really, she wasn't wrong. She often witnessed women practically throwing themselves at the man. Although, many fled thoroughly scandalized when he merely flashed an eye-crinkled smile while pulling out his orange covered companion. The fact that Kakashi was a very attractive man, though logical, didn't stop her from flushing as she admitted it to herself.

Instead, what she was finding hard to wrap her head around was the fact that things he did, or said, or really just being in his presence lately, had begun to set loose a fluttering in her stomach that was more telling and game changing than mere physical lust. It was far more reckless, far more dangerous. His little quirks that should really make her blanch, and often had as a young genin, had now become endearing traits of one of her favorite people.

She groaned rubbing her temples, as the blaring sound of her alarm shrieked beside her head. If she was beginning to find Kakashi's eccentricities endearing, she was in trouble. More troubling than her apparent new crush, was the issue of how she was going to deal with it. He was a sharp man, a genius. She'd only be able to excuse away her fumbling blushes for so long. Eventually, he'd figure it out. That was what she was really concerned about. Her silly crush could end up costing her this new friendship with Kakashi, and she wasn't about to let anything risk that.

Resolved, Sakura cast a glance at her clock. It was nearly 11, "Kuso," with a groan she rolled out of bed and made her way to her shower. She needed to wash away her stress from the week, to wash away work, and maybe if she turned the heat up enough, wash away this annoying feeling that she was getting in over her head. It was her first day off in what seemed like ages and she'd be damned if she wasted it.

Once she was looking like one of the living and not a rough reanimation jutsu, Sakura made her way into the living room to find Sarada studiously working on homework. She placed a kiss to the young girl's hair, "Hey, baby girl. Have you eaten lunch?"

"Hey mama," Sarada's soft smile made Sakura turn to mush, "No, I haven't yet. I've been working on my assignment for Genjutsu studies class. I'm almost done though."

"Almost finished," Sakura corrected tussling Sarada's onyx-colored locks in a way not unlike Kakashi used to do her. There he was again, popping up in her thoughts. She shook her head as she went to make coffee, "Well, I was thinking about having a picnic in the training grounds and maybe doing a bit of training. What do you think?"

Sarada nearly spun right out of her chair. Her dark eyes widening in excitement, even as she remained seemingly calm in almost every other way. She took after her father in many ways. Still, Sakura could hear the slight excited lilt to her voice, "Really?"

It had been a while since she had seen such a glimmer of childish glee in her daughter's eyes. It was a look that she hoped to keep there for as long as she possibly could. Innocence was something that shinobi often lost young, and with Sarada being 10, it would only be two more years before she'd be eligible for Genin testing. She mentally sent a thank you to Kakashi, who had made it law that genin could not graduate from the academy earlier than 12. 

_Kakashi_ , she almost sighed as he rose to her thoughts once again. She pushed the thought aside and decided to just enjoy today.

With a content sigh, she watched over her mug as her daughter sped through the remainder of her work before zipping down the hall to get dressed.

* * *

Sarada flopped down into the grass beneath a tree. She was breathing hard. Sweat coated her skin making her feel gross, and her glasses were annoyingly smudged. Her mom was out in the open field in front of her going through some forms.

Sarada was exhausted. Her mother was insanely fast. Faster than Sarada had realized when she agreed to practicing taijutsu with her before they had started their picnic. After all, taijutsu on a full stomach was asking for a tummy ache.

Trying in vain to clean the lenses of her glasses with her shirt, she jumped as a hand extended from above holding a bottle of water above her head. Startled, she let out a gasp, "Kakashi-sama?" Returning her glasses to her face, she blinked at the odd image he made.

Upside down and hanging on with chakra to the bottoms of his feet, Kakashi's hair stood on end and he peered down at her, "Yo, Sarada-chan."

Accepting the water, she eyed him, "What are you doing hanging up there like that?"

"Hm?" he hummed eyes creasing under her scrutinizing gaze, "I'm seeing what it's like to live life as a bat."

"For what purpose?" her skepticism seemed to have been replaced by genuine curiosity.

"Eh?" Kakashi blinked. Most at this point just shrugged off his peculiar answers. "Why, to see what it is like in their shoes, of course."

"Kakashi-sama, you're kinda weird."

"Eh heh heh," he scratched his neck chuckling. At the furrowing of her brows as she went back to watching her mother, Kakashi sighed. What ever happened to kids thinking he was cool? Dropping down to stand beside her, "Training hard, Sarada-chan?"

Setting down the now empty water bottle, she sat up to watch her mother flashing around the field in blurs of pink. "Hai, though I don't think I did very well," she admitted with a sigh, before looking up to Kakashi, "Kakashi-sama? Why does mama work at the hospital if she was such an amazing kunoichi like Tenten-sensei taught us in school?"

Oh boy. Kakashi watched Sakura's form dance around the field. It was not a simple answer and he was not certain it was his place to really say. He settled for the parts he thought were safe enough. "Well," he settled to sit down and lean against the tree trunk by Sarada. How did he seem to always get in these positions with kids?

He cleared his throat, "It is true that your mother is very talent kunoichi. She passed me up a long time ago," he smiled to himself watching her powerful taijutsu movements.

"That can't be right," Sarada frowned as she thought, "You were Hokage. You are an amazing ninja. I've heard you're likely one of the most powerful too and the most famous. You can use any of the five chakra forms. And you created Chidori and the purple lightening, Shiden."

"Being Hokage isn't everything," He looked back to the small girl plucking at blades of grass beside him, "There are somethings more precious than any kind of power or fame." He tussled her hair, "She has you. I'm not a betting man, but I'd wager that you are more important to her than any amount of fame or power, though she has more than enough of both of those herself."

Sarada sulked as she swatted his hand away, but her red cheeks and tiny smile, gave away how much his words meant to her.

A shift in the wind and the crunching of grass had Kakashi's head tilting up to offer a greeting, but his words stuck in his throat. The sun was hitting her in a way that made the sweat she had worked up glisten. The realization hit him that he was looking at Sakura and finding her beautiful in a very womanly way. Something had shifted. Perhaps it had been shifting for a while now, but it was only right then at that moment that he fully registered the change that had occurred. 

He watched as she placed her hands on her hips and smile softly down at him. _Kami._ He was in trouble.

"Not filling her head with junk, I hope?" she teased her smile gaining the lilt of a smirk.

Kakashi scoffed hand to his chest in mock offense, "Why, Sakura, I would never." Humor had always been his best defense.

"Mhm," green eyes rolled before landing on her daughter, "How are you feeling, baby girl?"

"Better," the young girl blushed, "Kakashi-sama gave me his water bottle."

Sakura sent Kakashi a grateful smile, "That was kind of him. Did you say thank you?" He studiously ignored the way the blood suddenly rushed to his ears, heating them.

Sarada looked over to Kakashi, "Gomen, Kakashi-sama," she murmured embarrassed.

Kakashi chuckled tussling her hair, "Anytime, Sarada-chan."

"So, what brings you out here, Kakashi?" Sakura asked as she stretched out her arms a bit. Her exercise had tightened her shoulder muscles a bit.

Kakashi tried not to watch the way the sweat made her simmer in the sunlight. Really he did. Clearing his throat, he shrugged, "Nice day out." He wasn't about to admit that he had heard that the pair were out here, and that the absence from his routine of a certain pink-haired someone was making him feel off more and more lately.

At this Sarada turned to face him confused, "What about your study of bats, Kakashi-sama?"

Kakashi flushed as his own silly response came back to bite him in the butt, "Eh, yes, well, that too."

Sakura snorted, "Since when do you study bats?"

Kakashi narrowed his eyes at her obvious humor at the situation. Why she found him looking silly in front of her child to be so funny he'd never understand. "Since today," he pursed his lips at her eye roll, unsure why he suddenly had the urge to show off a tad. "Actually, Sarada-chan," Kakashi turned to the young girl, "I was training as well."

"By hanging upside down?" an unconvinced lifting of a tiny brow reminded him of Sakura had him sending an amused look to said pinkette.

"Yup," he grinned before standing. "I was practicing my chakra control," he brought his hands up holding the seal for this particular technique to show the curious young girl. "When you can focus the right amount of chakra to the bottoms of your feet," he sent his chakra to his feet making sure to add a bit of flourish so that a swirl of air swiveled around them, "you can do pretty amazing things. Like walking up a tree, for instance." He said as he walked right up the trunk of the tree before stopping hanging upside down above the pair like he had been before.

Sarada seemed enthralled, "That makes much more sense than studying bats. Why didn't you just say that before?"

Sakura laughed, "Why indeed, Kakashi- _sama_?"

Kakashi plopped back down to the ground, a pout over his features, "Sakura- _chan_ , remember when you used to respect me?"

"Mah," she scoffed slapping a hand to his back lightly, "You'll get over it."

Kakashi slouched as Sarada giggled, "So mean to your poor, old sensei."

"Oh please, you are not old," Sakura rolled her eyes, eyeing him with humor, "Does this act actually work on anyone?"

His pout was a little more real this time, "Actually, yes." Was she that unfazed by him? That was a bit more disheartening than he expected.

"Oh Kami-sama," Sakura sighed before looping an arm through one of his, "Come on Sarada-chan, I am starving and I am not feeling much like a picnic anymore. How does taking our poor, dear, old Kakashi- _sama_ out to lunch sound?" He gave her side a light pinch at that earning a squeak.

Sarada watched as her mom gave Kakashi-sama a glare as she rubbed her side. She saw how Kakashi-sama's eyes looked softer at her mama when her mom turned back toward her. Thinking for a moment about what she had just seen, she decided that she liked Kakashi-sama. He was nice, and sure, he was a bit goofy, but she liked that he looked at her mama in that soft way. It reminded her of how her mama looked at her sometimes.

Brushing off her shorts, Sarada stood to her feet with a smile, "Hai, that sounds like fun."

As Sarada turned to skip out of the training ground, Kakashi leveled a soft smile at Sakura, "Are you sure you want me to tag along? I don't want to interrupt your family time. I know it's your first day off in a long while. You must have missed her."

Sakura gave his arm a squeeze as they followed Sarada. Her other hand coming up to pat his forearm, "Kakashi, you silly man, you are _family_. I missed _you_ too." Letting go of his arm, Sakura swooped down to give Sarada a piggyback ride earning a rare spill of laughter from the young Uchiha.

Kakashi's back stiffened. He watched them as Sakura loosened her hold on his arm, rushing forward to tickle at the young girl's side. Sakura's words washed over him like a warm blanket. His heart clenched tightly. As Sarada looked back and waved him on, Sakura flashing him that all-to-knowing but warm smile over her shoulder at him, the clenching burst outwards flooding him with a feeling he hadn't felt before. Or at least not in a very, very long time.

"Hai," he whispered to himself as he went to follow after them, "I guess I am."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully, my title makes sense now. lol
> 
> I hope you enjoyed it!!
> 
> Ino and Hinata are too fun to write. I like the idea that Hinata has gotten more comfortable and confident as she has gotten older. Having her gossiping with Ino is too fun.
> 
> Sakura has realized that she is getting feelings for Kakashi.
> 
> Kakashi is feeling...something.
> 
> Sarada is adorable.
> 
> Stay tuned to see what happens next!


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